Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (SSS) has developed an energy harvesting module that can generate power from electromagnetic wave noise. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we power IoT devices, as it can provide a sustainable and reliable source of energy without the need for batteries or wires.
This new technology uses electromagnetic wave noise to generate power efficiently. It can harness the constant noise from various sources like robots in factories, monitors in offices, and TVs in homes to power low-consumption IoT devices.
This energy harvesting technology is efficient and can power many IoT devices. SSS plans to use it to build a sustainable IoT society.
Energy harvesting is a super cool tech that’s gonna help make the Internet of Things (IoT) even awesome and make our planet greener. Researchers are exploring ways to generate power from electrical waves, light, heat, and even vibrations. SSS has come up with this rad new technology that harnesses electromagnetic wave noise generated by all our electrical gadgets to produce power. How cool is that?
This new module developed by SSS utilizes antenna technology and a rectifier circuit to convert electromagnetic wave noise into electrical energy. It can power low-power consumption IoT sensors and communications equipment or charge batteries. The industry’s first energy harvesting technology based on this method achieves highly efficient power generation by utilizing previously ignored electromagnetic wave noise as a new power source. This module enables a stable power supply for equipment.
The minimal number of constituent components used in the module yields a compact design that allows for greater freedom of installation. Also, as long as electronic devices are powered, energy can be harvested even while they are not in active use, making this technology promising in a wide variety of usage situations such as factories, offices, stores, and homes, both indoors and outdoors.
Main Features
- High level of power generation
Utilizing electronic equipment that generates a significant amount of electromagnetic wave noise such as household appliances, computers, lighting equipment, vending machines, elevators, automobiles, and industrial equipment as an energy source enables this module to harvest from several dozen μW to several dozen mW of power. Doing so makes it possible to supply power to low-power consumption IoT sensors and communications equipment - Applicable to a wide range of use cases
– As long as electronic devices are powered, power can be harvested even when they are not in active use. This method therefore differs from other energy harvesting methods which use sunlight, electrical waves, and temperature differences, all of which are susceptible to environmental factors such as lighting brightness and indoor environments. Thus, the new module enables continuous harvesting.
– The minimal number of constituent components used in the module yields a compact design that allows for greater freedom of installation. - Device status can be identified
Because this technology continuously harvests electromagnetic wave noise from electronic devices, it can also identify the internal status of the electronic device by detecting changes in the harvested voltage. This means, for instance, that it can be used for applications such as detecting whether lighting is functioning normally or predicting device failure, for example in robots with built-in motors.
SSS looks forward to working with partners from various industries to develop products based on this technology, which shows promise across a wide variety of applications.
Source: Sony Press Release
Another blog I wrong on energy harvesting long back is here: https://pallavaggarwal.in/2021/12/29/energy-harvesting/
I am currently working as an embedded systems design consultant and helping companies build custom embedded products, develop test automation solution for their PCB or complete product.
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