When charged up through continuous interaction, the difference in potential between the skin and electrostatic textile material, such as a winter jacket maintains till we touch a conductor such as door knob or metal surface. All the extra charges accumulated on the textile now get a path through our bodies to the door handle neutralising the difference in charges for the moment. This results in the tiny jolt of electrostatic shock. However, if we had been moving inside our winter jackets all along holding the metal object that is connected to the ground, the excited electrons would be flowing continuously through our bodies into the conductor without giving us a shock. This is a principle behind several anti-static measures implemented in clothing and home furnishings. It is also how a triboelectric generator works to safely harvest small amounts of electrical energy produced due to the electron flow.

The triboelectric circuit has two electrodes or conductive elements with one of them insulated with an electrostatic material. The two electrodes are connected to a rectifier circuit and an output, for e.g. a LED. When a person rubs against the electrostatic material while in contact with the open electrode, the electrostatic charges generated through the interaction flow safely through the body and into the circuit enabling the flow of electricity and lighting up the LED in short bursts.

In this setup, the person plays a crucial role in connecting and moving different kinds of materials and human skin is integral to the electrical setup that enables the circuit to work. In this way, the configuration of different materials and movements within a triboelectric circuit for generating meaningful electrical signals becomes an interaction design problem.