A thin sheet of nylon does not look like much on its own. But in lab tests, a film made by researchers at RMIT University kept generating electricity after being folded, stretched, and even run over by a car, again and again. That kind of toughness matters because the basic trick the film uses is simple: squeeze it, and it produces an electric charge. Materials that do this are called piezoelectric, from the Greek word for “to press.” Quartz, some ceramics, and even bone can behave this way. Piezoelectric parts already sit inside modern vehicles, including fuel injectors, parking sensors, and airbag systems. The RMIT team’s aim is a flexible alternative that can survive real-world punishment and harvest energy from everyday pressure and motion. Members of the RMIT University research team with the newly developed nylon‑film energy‑harvesting device. Pictured (L–R): Dr Yemima Ehrnst, Dr Peter Sherrell, PhD researcher Robert Komljenovic and Associate Professor Amgad Rezk. (CREDIT: Will Wright, RMIT University) Turning tough nylon into an energy generator The work is led by Distinguished Professor Leslie …