Think of all the times your smartphone battery died at the most inopportune moment. Now imagine a world where your devices powered themselves simply by existing. A group of scientists has just taken a giant step in that direction, by converting the radio frequencies that surround us into a source of energy. Let’s see.
radio energy
An international team of researchers published in the journal Nature Electronics (I put the link here) reports on the development of a device capable of capturing energy from ambient radio frequencies, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Currently, this invention could greatly improve the energy efficiency of devices and allow small sensors to operate without batteries.
How does it work? The heart is an organ called “Nano-rotary rectifier” (SR). It is a small magnetic object made of a mixture of cobalt oxide, iron, boron and magnesium. This device is small but powerful. It is capable of converting RF signals below -20dBm into DC voltage.
From Radio Frequencies to Energy, or: From Theory to Application
To demonstrate the technology, the researchers built an energy harvesting device that could power a commercial thermometer. The beauty? They didn’t need to add an extra receiver or antenna to the thermometer to make it work. It’s as if the thermometer had suddenly turned into a little energy vampire, sucking energy from the surrounding air.
The implications of this technology are wide-ranging. The researchers suggest that their device could be used to power sensors in remote locations, such as weather stations. These sensors already use signaling techniques to send and receive data, so they already have the equipment to harvest energy.
Benefits of Rotary Straightener
According to the researchers, RF energy harvesting gyro rectifiers have many advantages. They are compact, insensitive to parasitics, easy to integrate, scalable, and efficient in environmental conditions.
In other words? These devices are small but powerful, noise-resistant, and can be easily integrated with a variety of sensors and devices. A world where sensors in our homes, cities, and wearables operate continuously without changing or recharging batteries could lead to an explosion of new applications and a significant reduction in e-waste.
Radio Frequency Energy, Keeping Up With the Future
The ability to harvest energy from ambient radio frequencies represents a significant step toward a more sustainable and connected future. It will take some time for this technology to become widespread, but the potential is enormous.
In a world increasingly dependent on electronic devices, the ability to power them “out of the air” with this or other technologies could radically change our relationship with technology.
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