Researchers at Georgia State Institute of Technology have developed a way for small devices to be powered by electric signals built into clothing.

Using nanotechnology, zinc oxide nanowires would cover textile fibers and generate electrical current via the piezoelectric effect. As the body moves, portable electronic devices -- say an iPhone or BlackBerry -- would get their power.

"The fiber-based nanogenerator would be a simple and economical way to harvest energy from physical movement," said Zhong Lin Wang (left), a Regents professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, in a statement.

He added, "If we can combine many of these fibers in double or triple layers in clothing, we could provide a flexible, foldable and wearable power source that, for example, would allow people to generate their own electrical current while walking."