Energy Harvesting

Sustainable IoT

Well-being

Tech Insights

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="True" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1.0)" data-projectid="YoacygMbD5w65BBxt6ts">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io/text-to-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs Text to Speech</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>There is no question that we have to sit back and take a nice, long hard look at the mess we’re making of the planet. The numbers are truly staggering - it is estimated that the average human being today generates about 0.74 kilograms of solid waste every day! In the developed world, this number is closer to 4.54 kilograms!For better or for worse, a strong trend of rampant consumption has taken over the wealthier sections of the world in the past century. This trend is not showing any signs of abatement as we move towards a future where there will be a lot more of us. As indices of wealth and development improve, more and more people are emerging out of poverty and adopting an urban lifestyle in the western mould. As our population continues to grow, we will see an enormous increase in the number of people moving to urban areas. Inevitably, this leads to higher rates of consumption and naturally as a consequence, more waste generation.&nbsp;Global waste production is poised to grow to over 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050. Let that sink in. If that number doesn’t send a chill down your spine, look again. To put that into context, in 2016, we generated about half of that.Policy makers have scrambled to find reasonable management solutions and containment tactics to combat this pressing issue. Left unchecked, our waste management woes could lead to some pretty grim outcomes. They represent a public emergency of the highest priority to us as a collective.<h2>Smarter Technologies</h2>In the past decade, the tech world has witnessed tremendous acceleration and innovation. Technologies like AI, ML, energy harvesting and 5G have brought about unprecedented and unimaginable levels of growth.&nbsp;The Internet of Things has enabled such a dazzling array of possibilities for us that we simply haven’t been able to keep track of. Causing massive disruption in nearly every sector, IoT technologies have enabled us to drive high levels of operational efficiency and sustainability across all spheres of human activity.When the idea of connected tech was still in its infancy, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the potential application of IoT technology towards building smarter urban environments. Smart cities were in many ways the perfect IoT application - demonstrating the key points of value that IoT technology brings and contributing directly to an increased quality of life for millions at a time.&nbsp;Today, IoT-based urban management has come a long way. Connected technologies powered by wireless sensors, IoT microcontrollers and artificial intelligence are being employed by a number of cities around the world to great effect. Smart urban management includes the use of IoT technologies across a variety of applications such as fleet management, traffic management, pollution sensing etc.&nbsp;Similarly, smart waste management systems have emerged as an IoT-enabled innovation to look out for.&nbsp;<h2>What Is Smart Waste Management?</h2>Smart waste management refers to the use of smart technologies such as IoT, artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to streamline how we manage our waste. Much like any other smart technology, smart waste management is based on the principle of using sensor-enabled intelligence to gain actionable insights into the microprocesses that go into waste collection, recycling and disposal - enabling a higher degree of accountability and sustainability,&nbsp;The underlying principle behind smart waste management is quite simple really - using connected technology - i.e wireless sensor networks - we are able to harness the power of big data to bring about order and coherence to the way we manage our waste. The core principle, as with all IoT-based applications, is that the more data we are able to gather, in real time, the more intelligently we are able to orchestrate the various micro-processes that go into building a robust and efficient system.&nbsp;<h2>Why IoT-Based Smart Waste Management?</h2>Why is it that so many bets are being placed on an IoT-based solution to our enormous waste problem?Modern human civilisation is a veritable goliath comprising billions upon billions of interconnected processes and sub-systems. These subsystems are often disjointed and poorly connected with one another - this gargantuan system that we’ve created just goes about spinning endlessly, each of its billion components seemingly just doing its own thing. There’s no one “up-there” overseeing how things are done - an enormous pile of toxic battery waste discarded in Venezuela is tangibly and surely causing effects that ripple out into all our lives - but there’s no way for us to have any say in the matter. More centralisation and control is a failed 20th century strategy that had equally destructive ramifications - the soviet union and Nazi Germany stand as stark warnings against the solution of increased centralisation and collectivisation.&nbsp;But the problem still stands - what do we do to address this sorry state of affairs - we are literally creating piles of rubbish and throwing it into the oceans. An average 5th grader knows that throwing piles and piles of toxic garbage into the ocean is a desperately stupid thing to do - but the problem is not that of knowledge. We know. But we seem to not be able to find an answer. So, if increased centralised control on a global level is not the solution, then what is?An alternative is to focus on the grassroots - find ways to optimise the tiniest micro-processes that go into each of our industrial enterprises - find ways to optimise all human activity from the ground up. This is where sensors come in - today, thanks to advances in IoT-based connected technologies - we have an arsenal of incredible tools that enable us to operate on a really granular level, collecting immense amounts of information on the tiniest of scales.&nbsp;Our population is growing at breakneck speed - as things stand, we’re on the fastrack to planetary collapse, with our oceans, rainforests and <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/our-huge-soil-problem-how-iot-help.html">soils</a> in pathetic shape - as we speak, a terrible crisis is underway namely the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-the-sixth-mass-extinction-and-what-can-we-do-about-it#:~:text=Unlike%20previous%20extinction%20events%20caused,been%20converted%20for%20food%20production.">sixth mass extinction</a> event on this planet - and possibly the first one that has nothing to do with natural disasters of one kind or the other.&nbsp;These may sound like disparate issues that are a result of various unrelated events - but they’re not - they’re all symptoms of the same disease - we have grown too big, disconnected, haphazard and avaricious as a species - our modern lives have left us frantic and isolated - cut off from the big picture - to the point where we are literally burning up the very source of our existence.&nbsp;The waste problem is not a cosmetic, superficial issue - in a way, it is emblematic of the systemic issues that we’re going to have to rectify if we want any biological life on this planet to survive. The enormous amounts of waste we generate and the hapless ineptitude with which we deal with it is demonstrative of the cataclysmic crisis that lies ahead of us - we can be in denial all we want but that’s going to come at a terrible, terrible cost.&nbsp;Smart waste management is, at its core, the best solution that we’ve been able to come up with. The best minds of our modern times have enabled us to make such rapid advances in information technology. In a lot of ways, it represents the best chance we have in this fight against impending planetary doom.&nbsp;Why, though?At the risk of oversimplifying a gigantic issue, this is why we think so - the problem, at its core, is one of disconnectedness - IoT technology, at its core, is about establishing a high degree of interconnectedness.&nbsp;Today, thanks to state-of-the-art technologies like batteryless microcontrollers, artificial intelligence, machine learning and ultra-low-power semiconductor chips, we are able to design systems that essentially function like the human nervous system - with all the sub-systems interacting with one one another and with a centralised backend. This is, in essence, how any IoT solution operates - wireless sensors act as nodes that are dispersed across a given ecosystem, collecting huge amounts of highly granular data that is then collected and fed to a backend system. Using modern analytics, we are able to glean highly pertinent insights into the inner workings of the system, which is then fed into the actuating arm to implement changes that make the system progressively more efficient and smart.&nbsp;<h2>IoT Waste Management Applications</h2>Wireless sensors and IoT microcontrollers are being deployed in a number of innovative ways towards better waste management -&nbsp;<h3>1. Smart Bins</h3>We’re just no good at sorting trash - this has to be one of the most important reasons for our massive garbage woes. In spite of massive efforts to educate us on the importance of sorting and the sheer magnitude of disastrous consequences of failing to do so, policy makers still face an uphill task in getting enough of us on board with the idea.&nbsp;Even when we sort our rubbish, there is a lot of human error in the process which presents a huge pain point at the back end of operations. A <a href="https://bine.world/">polish IoT company</a>&nbsp;has attempted to come up with an IoT-based solution to this problem - smart waste bins.&nbsp;These bins are powered by IoT-sensors and microcontrollers and they are able to ameliorate the effect of human error on the initial sorting process. They are able to offer a high-tech alternative to the old school method of processing of waste sorting and in doing so, lead to dramatically improved efficiency. Moreover, using smart rubbish bins can slash costs by up to 80% when accounted for at a city-wide level.&nbsp;<h3>2. Waste level sensors</h3>Typically, municipal bodies organise waste collection along certain predetermined routes. Garbage trucks go along certain pre-planned routes across regular intervals. This can be every day or every week, depending on the case. However, this is incredibly wasteful. Not all bins along the routes are going to be filled all the time. Some bins are going to be empty and some are going to be half filled and so on.&nbsp;This is incredibly wasteful because a lot of money is spent on fuel, labour etc. Today, many local governing bodies are implementing IoT to great effect to this end - waste level sensors are being installed in bins and dumpsters.&nbsp;These smart bins and dumpsters, equipped with waste level sensors are able to collect data on the fill levels of these bins in real-time, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective planning.&nbsp;Collection services can plan trips only when they are necessary, cutting down on unnecessary back trips to and from collection sites, landfills and central garbage processing sites. This technology also has the added benefit of increased public health - when waste levels are monitored in real time, we are able to prevent the unsavoury occurrence of overflowing public containers which create all manner of contamination and pest issues.&nbsp;<h3>3. Robotics-based Recycling</h3>Recycling plays a huge role in any effective waste management strategy - a lot of perfectly usable material ends up in landfills and oceans simply because of the logistical complexities involved.&nbsp;During the Covid pandemic, thanks in part due to the reduced availability of personnel, many recycling centres turned to AI-powered recycling robots which can identify recyclable materials with a high degree of precision. This saves recycling centres a lot of cash and cuts down their dependence on manpower. Moreover, this has the added benefit of making sure we don’t let things end up in landfills unless they absolutely need to.&nbsp;<h3>4. Smart weight sensors</h3>This one is very similar to the use-case we discussed earlier about waste level sensors. IoT-powered weight sensors are increasingly being used in garbage trucks and public garbage containers to measure the amount of waste being collected in real-time and in doing so, reduce unnecessary trips.&nbsp;Instead of measuring fill levels, these solutions employ weight sensors to achieve pretty much the same result.<h2>Advantages of Smart Waste Management</h2><div class="raw-html-embed"><ul class="ul--list">
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 When we streamline the process of collecting and disposing rubbish on a city-wide or even larger scale, we end up accruing some pretty serious environmental benefits - when garbage trucks make fewer trips, it makes for a lower carbon footprint thanks to reduced emissions. This also makes for a number of knock-on benefits such as reduced traffic congestion and noise pollution.
 
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 When we introduce an analytics based solution to optimise the sorting process, we seriously cut down on the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and oceans. Every gram matters. 
 
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 Cleaner cities are a natural by-product. When we optimise the various disparate processes that go into waste collection, processing and disposal, we end up creating healthier and cleaner environments that are conducive to a more wholesome life. 
 
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 A sensor-based approach allows municipal bodies to collect some serious intelligence on the dynamics of waste production, allowing them to craft better long term waste management strategies. 
 
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 </ul></div><h2>Precariously placed</h2>There are a number of daunting issues that face us as a global unit - perhaps none of these issues is as emblematic of our collective failure of organisation as our ginormous trash problem - this massive problem is literally representative of how we’re making a mess of our planet.&nbsp;Make no mistake, this is not a simple problem - and solving it is not a matter of just adopting this technology or that - this is a serious and multi pronged problem that is firstly, the result of a basic lack of collective awareness on our part.&nbsp;We have simply not been able to come together strongly enough in order to manage our resources, needs and goals, as a species. If that sounds like a distant dream, or worse like utopian rubbish, it might be wise to remember that we’re still pretty new to all this. In the grand scheme of things, industrial civilization has really just been around for a tiny bit of time - that’s both the scariest and the most hopeful part about all this.&nbsp;It is scary that we have been able to grow so big in such a haphazard and destructive manner, so quickly. On the other hand, it should come as a matter of great hope that we’re already at the stage where a significant proportion of people are taking a realistic look at the precarious nature of our ecological situation and coming together to solve it.At the risk of repeating a worn out cliche, we are at a crossroads point as far as our history is concerned. We are in dire need of radical solutions that dare to rethink the way we do things from the ground up. It is in this context that IoT technologies stand as a beacon of hope for our future.

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Our Garbage Problem is Huge - Can IoT Clean it Up?

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="True" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1.0)" data-projectid="mKr3NQGZ48sPHvstSH36">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io/text-to-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs Text to Speech</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Another day, another tired old, “go green” marketing campaign - now they’re all over the place. All sorts of companies have started chiming in - not just the ones that are traditionally seen as eco-friendly. There’s a seemingly interminable catalogue of sustainability driven campaigns today - all sorts of products being positioned as the “green” alternative; Every commodity out there claiming to save the planet.&nbsp;It’s not coming out of nowhere. There’s a massive demand for more sustainable products and services from today’s consumer, who seems to be more <a href="https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-IN/">clued up</a> than ever about environmental issues and wants to make a difference with their purchases.&nbsp;There is a clear directive from the world’s consumer base that companies that prioritise holistic well-being over myopic self-interest will be rewarded richly. Now more than ever, <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/rise-of-eco-conscious-consumer.html">consumers</a> are choosing to go green, making a huge statement with how they spend their money.&nbsp; This message has been received loud and clear by the businesses of the world and they’re tripping over one another trying to get on the sustainability bandwagon.&nbsp;The market has a good idea about a company or brand’s hierarchy of values - we might not exactly know the inner machinations of what makes a company tick - but we sure can call out a bandwagon jumper just fine - the ones who are built around a core value that calls for more environmental consciousness are easy to identify.&nbsp;But on the other hand, environmental concerns are pressing and urgent - there is an ever growing realisation that we need urgent action to reverse some of the <a href="https://consciousplanet.org/en/save-soil/soil">catastrophic</a> trends of ecological degradation that we see around us today. We’re literally burning the planet down - destroying the very source of our lives. So maybe this is a good time to start caring about sustainability - or even performatively caring about sustainability?This is a good time for all earth dwellers to take a moment to ask ourselves what sustainability means to us. It’s time we reconcile our desire for a healthier planet with the drives that are leading us to burn the planet down.&nbsp;<blockquote>However selfish man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it. - Adam Smith</blockquote>There is this idea that all economic activity is driven by the profit motive - at least in a liberal economic model.This is broadly true - when free from external agencies that seek to force their hands, human beings largely tend to work towards their own well-being and prosperity rather than against.&nbsp;But, the idea that all transactions, in a market, happen among rational and self-seeking players with a myopic vision of profit is not true. People are complex organisms and have divergent drives, motivations and incentive structures.&nbsp;Human beings belong to multiple structures that exist at multiple levels of organisation - i.e. first and foremost, we are individuals. As individuals, we belong to family units, the welfare of which we sometimes put over our own. Similarly, when we zoom out, we belong to various other collective units, which command varying levels of loyalty, responsibility and belonging.&nbsp;This is not just some abstraction - in our day to day lives, we make several decisions that balance our commitment to wellbeing and value across various levels of this hierarchy of belonging.&nbsp;We are often faced with situations where we prioritise well-being on the level of the collective over that of the individual. The converse is true as well, obviously. That’s where accountability comes in. We’re much less likely to make decisions that benefit us as individuals at the cost of our community’s well being when there is a certain level of accountability within said community.&nbsp;Today, we’re able to exchange value at multiple levels and maintain accountability on a really large scale. Thanks to technology and social media, we are able to see how value exchanges affect not just the producer and the direct consumer but literally everything else on the planet.&nbsp;This is where the idea of sustainability becomes relevant from a macroeconomic standpoint.&nbsp;So, how do we see sustainability? What’s sustainability, as defined and understood by us?&nbsp;Creating and offering a multi-layered stack of value. That’s how we see sustainability. Very simple. Not catering to one problem of an individual or an entity while contributing to other problems at other levels of collectivity that they occupy.&nbsp;What do we mean by this?We are quickly realising that a product or a service that offers value to one party but at the cost of our collective wellbeing is just not doing a great job of leveraging all the available resources we have.&nbsp;Today, more than ever before, we have an oceanic pool of knowledge, operational tools, know-how and talent to draw from. National borders don’t matter. College degrees don’t matter - there are way more sophisticated and bespoke methods available to vet for quality. Consumers have a ton of power and choice in terms of the products and services they choose to associate with.&nbsp;Similarly, businesses also have more choice than ever about the kind of solutions, talent, processes and structures they can employ.&nbsp;So, the businesses that we’ll see doing well in these times are those that execute on the promise of value-creation at every level of organisation - the individual, the micro-collective (i.e company, demographic group etc), macro-collective(s) - i.e humans as whole, life as a whole etc and then, one level up from this - the habitat that all of these other levels share - which is planet earth.&nbsp;So, a sustainable business is one that takes upon itself the task of adding value - not just to one level of the hierarchy - but to as many levels as possible.&nbsp;With <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/rise-of-eco-conscious-consumer.html">consumers</a> getting more and more informed and highly eco-conscious, companies and products that operate on a less inclusive model will simply not make it.&nbsp;<h2>Sustainability in the IoT Sector</h2>Let’s take the example of the IoT sector.&nbsp;If we continue pushing out products that find a way to reduce labour, cut costs, drive up operational efficiency etc. but do so by requiring thousands of battery changes every year - that’s a bad idea.&nbsp;Dumping hundreds of thousands of batteries into our oceans and <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/our-huge-soil-problem-how-iot-help.html">soil</a> (which are precious resources that affect the wellbeing of every single one of us directly), we are literally adding negative value to the world.&nbsp;No business can expect to live for long adding negative value - maybe it can go on for a while as the information gap closes - but this isn’t going to last very long.&nbsp;Like we said earlier, the idea is pretty straightforward - all of us hold a hierarchy of identities based on the hierarchy of social collectives that we belong to, at various levels. At one level, we’re individuals with guaranteed rights, powers of discretion and individual choice. But, this individuality is dependent to varying degrees on the family setup we belong to.Likewise, we belong to various other levels of collectivity - like cities, countries etc - at the highest level, all living organisms belong to the collective that is “life on earth”. This is not an exercise in abstraction - this is not some imposed framework that ought to be adopted to view the world through - this is a reality.&nbsp;Things that happen to the ecosystem at large, happen to us. Things that affect the air, soil, water and general livability of this planetary ecosystem, affect us too as an extension. That this needs to be said goes to show how much we’ve become atomised in today’s world.&nbsp;We are facing some pretty <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/solving-challenges-batteryless-iot.html">grave</a> threats as a planetary collective and <a href="https://consciousplanet.org/en/save-soil">urgent action</a> is what’s going to get us out of trouble - this means, businesses that offer value to the various levels of collectivity that we inhabit will be <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/rise-of-eco-conscious-consumer.html">chosen</a> over those that serve just one level.&nbsp;This is the way to see sustainability.&nbsp;Sustainability isn’t some credo that we use to parade how virtuous we are. It is merely an <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/solving-challenges-batteryless-iot.html">attempt</a> to integrate a more holistic understanding of adding value into our products and services.&nbsp;<h2>An Evolution of the Profit Motive</h2>The profit motive gets a bad rap - but it really works! To a large extent, the buzzing industrial world around us which allows us luxuries like frappuccinos and reading articles online, is a direct result of a liberal economic order.&nbsp;We’ve built a society that is built around the profit motive rather than being predicated on individuals overcoming their self-interest. This has brought us economic growth and prosperity. Sure there are millions who are still struggling to make ends meet - but the fact remains that this economic model has lifted hundreds of millions, if not billions, out of poverty.&nbsp;Now back to the idea we started with - how do we look at companies parading their attempts to be more ecologically sensible, as some sort of virtue pageantry?It really is irksome to see businesses using the "sustainability angle" as a sort of selling tactic to push more of their wares onto us.&nbsp;Why? Not just because it's inauthentic - although that's not great either. It's more because it reflects an inaccurate understanding of what sustainability means - an understanding built on outdated and obsolete models.This would be a good place to ask ourselves what sustainability means to us.. So, at its core, why sustainability? Why should we be sustainable?That "should-ness" around sustainability is what we have a problem with. That's where we think a reframe is in order.We as individuals make choices all the time that look like "I should / I ought to" choices when seen from a child's perspective. To a child, anything that isn’t play - or immediately fun, is just something he/she does only because their parents give them no other choice.&nbsp;But, as adults, most of us simply understand the complexities involved in reconciling our divergent drives - i.e short term gratification vs long term goals; expediency vs well being. We might experience the occasional bit of friction, sure. But, we all get how careful planning, delayed gratification and mutual civility pay off in the long run.As families, we're the same way - we make choices that ensure the highest amount of wellbeing (given practical constraints) for the most number of people in the family over the longest possible time. In doing so, we choose to align our everyday choices with long-term wellbeing over short-term expediency.At the levels of individual and family, this is just seen as being sensible - no "should-ness" there that leads to virtue signalling - not that being sensible isn't a virtue to be celebrated though - but there isn’t so much moralistic posturing around it, is what we mean.&nbsp;What we're saying is this - choosing to not destroy the foundational aspects of our life - i.e. water, soil, air is just the sensible thing to do. There doesn't need to be a dramatised narrative or moral grandstanding around it. It's simply what living beings do when confronted with choices that they are smart enough to comprehend - they make choices that correspond with their own sustained well-being.This is how we see sustainability. Simply acting in our own best interests. Doing what will enable us all to reap the most value in the long-term. Pure common sense.Creating batteryless IoT products so we can stem the catastrophic flow of billions of batteries into our oceans and landfills doesn't make us virtuous - these are simply the kind of things that need to be done if we plan on continuing to live here as a global collective (as a species).Finding new ways to source our materials so we don't cause ecological destruction, human suffering and contamination is again - just what we'd do if we were acting sensibly in our own self interest.To us as a company, this is what batteryless IoT stands for - Sense. It's just the more sensible way to do connected technology. It's the only way we can build on the huge promise of IoT technology without it contributing to our already growing list of environmental problems.Sustainability here isn't a cause - It's just finding deeper alignment with our own desire for wellbeing - a distillation, an evolution if you will, of the profit motive. The need to create value - the need to ensure better outcomes for ourselves.

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Reframing Sustainability - An Evolution of The Profit Motive

The IoT world is evolving at a breakneck pace and it is literally taking the world by storm. Today, the Internet of Things is making its transformative presence felt in nearly every aspect of human life, radically changing the way we approach business, communication, personal care and everyday life. In this climate of rapid innovation, there is a huge pressure on the IoT industry to come up with more sustainable and eco-friendly power solutions.&nbsp;Traditionally, IoT devices have been battery-powered. Until very recently, there was simply no other viable alternative - batteries were simply the best we had. However, in recent years, energy harvesting technology has emerged as a contender that is simply hard to look past. Ambient energy harvesting has allowed us to conceive of an IoT that is 100% batteryless - i.e self-powered.&nbsp;For the uninitiated, here’s a brief introduction to how energy harvesting technology works - basically, we are surrounded by an invisible ocean of energy at all times. There are swirling cascades of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves, heat, vibrations etc that are simply going unused. Energy harvesting technology essentially refers to the process of harnessing some of this ambient energy and converting it into usable electrical energy that can power small devices.&nbsp;In many instances in the past, we have highlighted the urgent need for IoT devices to switch to batteryless technology, powered by energy harvesting. Some of the key points which we have always highlighted are the humanitarian and environmental perils associated with Li-ion batteries and the economic costs associated with deploying a large number of battery-powered IoT sensors and node devices.&nbsp;After all, we can only discard so many billions of batteries into our oceans before the consequences turn truly disastrous for us. In this context, we have always maintained that batteryless IoT is a truly revolutionary step in the right direction. In many of our previous posts, we’ve extolled the transformative potential of batteryless IoT and spoken about how it could potentially be a flag-bearer for a future where we find more elegant solutions to some of the most pressing existential challenges that confront us today.&nbsp;Is this narrative just a ploy to make energy harvesting technology look good or does it actually hold water? Don’t recent advancements in recycling technologies mean that the transformative potential of batteryless IoT that we so often speak about is just hogwash?We thought we might play devil’s advocate and address this question with this post.&nbsp;After all, there is no better way to illustrate a technology’s merit than being its fiercest critic and seeing if it holds up to rigorous scrutiny.&nbsp;<h2>Advancements in Battery Recycling</h2>The biggest argument that can be laid out against the transformative power of batteryless IoT is that there have been a spate of recent advancements in Lithium-ion battery recycling. This is in no small part due to the explosion in demand for these batteries, thanks to the rise of EVs and battery-powered consumer electronics.&nbsp;Mainly, these advancements are directed towards improving the efficiency, sustainability and cost-effectiveness of recycling batteries. Today, we are able to recover valuable minerals like lithium, cobalt and nickel much more effectively from dead batteries. In recent years, techniques such as direct recycling have risen in popularity. In layman terms, what this means is that we are able to increase the rate at which we recover these precious substances from recycled batteries.&nbsp;The environmental impact associated with battery recycling is also being chipped away at - modern recycling techniques come with a smaller carbon footprint and are claimed to release fewer toxic by-products into the environment. Moreover, with a rise in supportive legislation and government policies around the world, there are fewer obstacles to effective battery recycling than there were a few years ago. This also means that we are able to recycle batteries more cheaply.&nbsp;As we speak, there is ongoing research underway on improving existing recycling modalities. Make no mistake - we will have better recycling techniques in our hands in the coming years. It’s also difficult to argue against the notion that increasing awareness levels and better education will lead to higher recycling rates, which will in turn drive more innovation within the industry.&nbsp;But, does any of this take away from the transformative potential of batteryless technology?<h2>The Case for Batteryless IoT</h2>Advancements in recycling techniques are a welcome development, no doubt. But, we think it’s not enough, on its own, to discredit the sheer revolutionary potential of batteryless IoT technology.&nbsp;Firstly, there is the problem of uniformity. It is true that recent advancements in recycling technologies are making rapid strides in salvaging lithium and cobalt from batteries but most of these methods are aimed at processing uniform, large-scale batteries that are used in large industrial sectors such as automobiles, manufacturing and a small segment of consumer electronics. These recycling processes are not able to deliver the goods when it comes to the other end of the spectrum, i.e. smaller, AA-sized batteries and coin cells which face greater recycling challenges. These batteries are made from a more diverse mix of materials and are not compatible with a uniform recycling stream. There is also the dreadful challenge of collecting these smaller batteries for recycling - something we haven’t been able to come up with a tenable solution for. It requires large-scale public participation, incentive programs and stringent government regulation - even when all this is assumed, it is a tall order by any stretch of the imagination. After all, we humans have never really made a good case for ourselves when it comes to acting diligently and conscientiously without supervision. This makes collecting small batteries for recycling almost an impossibility, practically speaking.&nbsp;Then, there is the carbon footprint associated with recycling - recycling lithium-ion batteries is extremely energy-intensive. This is because extremely high temperatures are required to smelt the batteries in order to recover the materials. This energy often comes from non-renewable sources, contributing significantly to the total carbon footprint.&nbsp; Even accounting for the improvements made in this regard, there is still a lot of uncertainty on the cumulative ecological value of recycling old batteries, especially when held in comparison with batteryless technology. It’s very unclear whether the carbon footprint of recycling older batteries is actually lower than that of manufacturing new batteries - and that’s not an uncertainty that can be glazed over.&nbsp;Moreover, there are the knock-on effects that come with recycling batteries - battery recycling involves a lot of steps which are potentially hazardous to the environment. Many toxic chemicals are involved in these processes, which can pose huge threats to the environment if not handled properly. In many cases, these chemicals leak into their surroundings and cause water and soil contamination. This can have hugely adverse effects on the local ecology and perhaps more pertinently, on human health. Additionally, recycling processes themselves are quite resource intensive - for example, they require huge amounts of water among other resources, which can tilt the overall ecological equation significantly. Add to that the other factors that often go unmentioned - like the carbon footprint associated with transporting used batteries to recycling facilities etc and you’ll end up with a completely different picture.&nbsp;While it is true that we are able to salvage a higher proportion of rare earth minerals like lithium and cobalt with modern recycling practices, a large quantity still goes to waste. This is a huge point in the favour of batteryless technology - as such, we are in a situation where lithium and cobalt reserves are fast dwindling. We will not be able to sustain continued mining of these minerals for much longer. We need to understand that lithium and cobalt are very scarce resources and even with the best recycling practices we have today, supply is not going to be able to keep up with demand in the near future.&nbsp;Taking all this into consideration, the argument that better recycling techniques can render battery-powered IoT just as eco-friendly as batteryless IoT is simply not tenable.&nbsp;<h2>The Undeniable Benefits of Batteryless IoT</h2><div class="raw-html-embed"><ul class="ul--navi">
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 Energy reliability - Batteryless IoT, powered by energy harvesting technology, is designed to be failure-proof across a multitude of settings and environmental conditions. Today, we are able to harness energy from a variety of sources such as RF, light, heat etc. For example, our very own ONiO.zero can simultaneously harness energy from both radio frequency waves and light energy. This sort of flexibility makes batteryless IoT devices robust and versatile across a wide variety of use-cases, even in situations that are sub-optimal.
 
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 Scalability - Batteryless IoT does not suffer from the supply constraints that we highlighted earlier with batteries. The logistics and economics hold up well even when increasing demand is accounted for.
 
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 Maintenance - This is another huge advantage that batteryless has over traditional battery-powered IoT devices. Over the product’s lifetime, battery-powered devices cost a lot in terms of periodic maintenance and battery replacements. On the other hand, self-powered IoT devices are built to function perpetually. Obviously, they don’t need battery replacements and moreover, because they contain fewer moving parts, they are less subject to parts failure and unexpected downtimes.
 
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 Longer life - Batteryless IoT devices have longer lifespans when compared to their battery-powered counterparts. This one’s a no brainer - both ecologically and economically.
 
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 Consistent performance - Battery-powered devices drop off in terms of efficiency as they age - this is because their batteries get less efficient at holding charge with time. Batteryless devices on the other hand offer a consistent level of performance throughout their lifespans.
 No waste - Recycling is all well and good but a technology that simply dispenses with the need to be recycled is obviously going to save a hell of a lot in terms of resources and time. With batteryless IoT, the headache of having to recycle batteries is simply circumvented. However efficient recycling gets, it’s not going to beat this.
 
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 Flexible deployment - Battery-powered devices are always going to come with the constraint that they can’t be deployed in locations that are hard to access. After all, they are going to need battery replacements at some point. With self-powered IoT devices on the other hand, the sky is truly the limit - they can be deployed in inaccessible locations - think hill tops, windmills, inside complex machinery - you name it! They simply don’t come with the kind of fuss that battery-powered devices do. You just pick a location and forget about them!
 
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</div><h2>The Future of IoT is Batteryless</h2>Iterative improvements are not going to help us overcome the litany of existential threats we are faced with today, as a species. Our oceans are getting polluted at a truly terrifying rate - our soil is dying and we are losing thousands of species every year. What we need is a dramatic transformation in the way we do things and structure our practices.&nbsp;In this light, batteryless IoT is definitely a step in the right direction. Batteries were a necessary step in our evolution towards sustainable energy - no doubt - but, they are just that - a step. We need to move past batteries and embrace the next evolutionary step. What we’ve tried to highlight with this piece is just how many issues there are with batteries as a power source. Some of these issues can be worked at and improved upon but the fact still remains that batteries are incredibly wasteful, resource-intensive and expensive, both in terms of material and detriment to life.&nbsp;We’re not suggesting that the Internet of Things going batteryless is going to dramatically solve all our ecological problems - not at all. But it is a question of whether we are going to embrace radical, transformative solutions or persist with futile attempts to make iterative changes to the grossly unsustainable and insensible way we’ve structured a lot of our systems today.&nbsp;It is clear as daylight that we need more solutions and fast! We are not going to overcome these seemingly impossible challenges with the sort of thinking that got us here in the first place - we need solutions that dare to reimagine the wheel. Batteryless IoT is that kind of a solution.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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Better battery recycling is still no match for batteryless IoT

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="True" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1.0)" data-projectid="qLDWBqdgb8GOF3Y5Zm4P">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io/text-to-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs Text to Speech</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Sensors are all around us, in today’s connected world. Acting as conduits that connect the physical and digital worlds, IoT sensors have come a long way since their inception. With the number of connected devices in the world only set to go up in the coming years, IoT sensors are only going to increase in relevance - In 2020, it was estimated that there were 15.1 billion connected IoT devices in active use worldwide. This number has been growing at a staggering rate - by the year 2030, it is expected that there will be well over <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183457/iot-connected-devices-worldwide/">29 billion</a> active IoT devices!Now, take a moment to wrap your mind around that number. That’s about 4 IoT devices for each person on planet earth! IoT devices are equipped with an entire range of sensors - to cater to various functionalities. What this means is that, as we speak, there are over a trillion IoT sensors buzzing away around us in the world right now! A Trillion!What are these sensors doing?They’re collecting data - plain and simple. Various kinds of IoT sensors, are specialised to collect different types of data from their surrounding environment. This data is absolutely <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/batteryless-sensors-reshaping-the-world.html">reshaping</a> the world around us and the way we <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/revolutionising-retail-batteryless-iot-impact.html">interact</a> with it - <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/are-smart-iot-farms-the-future-agriculture.html">farmers</a> are relying on pH sensors, moisture sensors, <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/precision-agriculture-using-less-to-grow-more.html">NPK sensors </a>etc to optimise their fertiliser and water input to achieve high yields and prevent pests and plant diseases; Smart factories are using sensors to monitor the health of their machinery and avoid unexpected losses, boosting their margins and overall productivity; Motion sensors, level detection sensors, light sensors, sound sensors etc are being used as parts of comprehensive sensor suites to transform our urban spaces into smart cities.&nbsp;It’s not just industry and public conveniences either - like we saw in the beginning of this article, smart appliances, as part of a broader smart home, employ various kinds of IoT sensors to automate various household tasks and customise them to user preferences - refrigerators that order groceries for you on amazon when your stocks run low; pressure sensors that warn you well before your taps start leaking; air quality sensors that work with your air conditioning unit to make sure the air in your room is just right - the level of convenience, seamlessness and comfort enabled by wireless sensors is simply absurd!<h2>Sensors Evolution - A Timeline Through The Decades</h2>The modern day wireless sensor is a result of decades of iterative development, driven by increasing demands of a tech world that was growing and evolving at breakneck speed. In the late 20th century, sensors were very rudimentary devices that could detect basic parameters such as light or temperature - they were usually deployed in industrial plants or in early versions of computers.&nbsp;As our information processing capabilities started growing, the scope of these sensors exploded in a massive way, leading to the advent of highly sophisticated sensors that could detect a wide range of environmental parameters like motion, humidity, pressure etc. This was primarily driven by the market’s exploding demand for intelligent and efficient sensing systems that could adapt to changing conditions in real-time, performing a role of optimisation in various kinds of industrial and consumer-facing settings.&nbsp;Let’s take a brief look at the history of the modern wireless sensor:Sensors may sound like they don’t belong in history - they seem a pretty recent invention. However, if we define a sensor as a device that scans its surroundings, sensing changes in a particular variable or parameter, then we’d have to go way back to the 17th century, to rudimentary thermometers, which were essentially primitive temperature sensors. The 1800s saw some advancements in devices that could detect changes in pressure and light levels - i.e early pressure sensors and light sensors.&nbsp;The concept of connecting everyday devices to one another and to the internet, in order to drive higher levels of functionality and intelligence can be traced back to the 1990s. Kevin Ashton coined the term “Internet of Things” all the way back in 1999. Since then, wireless sensors have made rapid strides - becoming smaller, less power-hungry and more sophisticated.&nbsp;With the turn of the 20th century, sensor innovation started taking off like never before, driven by a massive technological boom - The modern day IoT sensor owes its existence to some key 20th century developments.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/onio/image/upload/v1710416752/first_transistor_819d73fa1a.jpg" alt="first_transistor.jpeg"></figure>Transistors (1947) - It is a well known fact that wars accelerate the evolution of technology. In the period immediately after the second world war, the transistor absolutely revolutionised the world of electronics - making it possible for them to be shipped with compact and affordable components. Before transistors, electronics used vacuum tubes - which were heavy and bulky. Moreover, they were also extremely power hungry. Transistors were substantially smaller in size compared to vacuum tubes and did not require nearly as much power. Transistors allowed highly complex circuits to be integrated onto a single chip.&nbsp; This was a notable milestone in the history of the modern day sensor.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/onio/image/upload/v1710417064/the_first_mcu_e6d9bdc5b9.jpg" alt="the first mcu.jpg"></figure>Microcontrollers (1970s) - Microcontrollers were developed in the 1970s and represented a massive leap forward in sensing technology. Microcontrollers are essentially tiny computers that are entirely based on a chip. Microcontrollers allowed the data from multiple sensors to be integrated within a single device. Moreover, microcontrollers that were built into sensors enabled on-board data processing, completely bypassing the need for a separate backend operation or at any rate, reducing its load. This reduced the total data-load that had to be transmitted, which in turn, reduced bandwidth requirements and enabled some applications to start featuring real-time decision making. Microcontrollers, perhaps most importantly, enabled sensor programmability - this meant that sensor functionality could be customised to match the requirements of specific use-cases. This was a huge boost to the versatility of functionality of sensors.RFID (1980s) - Radio-frequency identification or RFID technology, brought a whole new dimension of capabilities to wireless sensing. RFID, for the first time, allowed objects to be identified and tracked without them being directly in the line of sight.Wi-Fi (1997) - The advent of Wi-Fi in the 1990s meant that high-speed wireless internet became a real possibility for the first time. This meant that sensors could now transmit large amounts of data seamlessly.Wi-Fi enabled sensors to be integrated into networks much more easily, playing a significant role in the colossal development of IoT technology today.Bluetooth (1998) - This was another big landmark in the development of modern day sensors as well. Bluetooth technology allowed sensors the massive luxury of reliable short-distance wireless communication. This meant that sensors located in close proximity could “speak-to” one another without the hassle and expense of using Wi-fi.Then, there were a couple of key developments following the turn of the century that led to the powerful, diminutive and highly versatile IoT sensors that we know today.&nbsp;MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) - The development of MEMS in the early 2000s remains a very significant step in the evolution of modern day IoT sensors. MEMS allowed IoT sensors to be rendered in miniature form, making it possible for sensors to be deployed in the numerous applications that we see them in today. Use-cases like smartphones and fitness trackers are possible for sensors today simply because of MEMS. They made sensors versatile, compact and inexpensive.LPWAN Technologies - The advent of LoRaWAN and NB-IoT in the 2010s has been huge for the emergence of modern standards in sensor technology. They allow sensors to be deployed in far-flung, remote corners of the world where internet and power access are questionable, at best. LPWAN technologies enabled the expansion of IoT into the big, wide world - opening up an unimaginably diverse range of use-cases in the process.<h2>Demand Driven Innovation</h2>In the early years, IoT technology was based on connecting everyday objects to computer systems or large computer networks - this is how these early smart objects were controlled and monitored.&nbsp;This was revolutionary at the time, with sensors being used to blur the lines between the physical and digital worlds. However, there were some pretty hefty limitations as well - these sensors were taken straight out of industrial settings and were often quite bulky and expensive. They were also massively power hungry, demanding wired connections or frequent battery changes. This made it impossible for them to be deployed in remote use-cases. There was a growing need for more energy-efficient sensors.&nbsp;Moreover, sensors in the past were largely restricted to single data types - i.e a given sensor was limited to being able to gather only one type of data - like temperature, pressure etc. This meant that early IoT solutions were straitjacketed and could not really spread their wings in terms of ingenuity or scale - this limited the range of problems that they could be used to solve.&nbsp;Processing power was also an issue with early sensors - they lacked the sheer muscle that was needed to process the data they collected; this meant that early IoT devices had to rely on the cloud for processing and analysis, adding to latency and overhead in the process.&nbsp;The market was clamouring for a new breed of IoT sensors that could solve these issues. With IoT technology being adopted across various sectors at an increasingly rapid pace, there was a tremendous incentive for innovation in the sensor space. The market exerted a number of pressures that fueled the development of next-gen sensor technologies -&nbsp; these were:Cost Effectiveness - The scale at which IoT technology was growing was so massive that there was a huge demand for ultra-low-cost sensors that could be deployed in large numbers without much thought.Size - Sensors needed to drop some serious heft and become diminutive in order for them to be seamlessly integrated into various wearables, implants and smart devices.Low-Power - Battery replacements were a serious limiting factor in the early years of IoT. <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/energy-harvesting-trumps-batteries.html">The battery problem</a> severely curtailed the growth of IoT technology for a long time. In addition to the repeating costs, there was the <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/environmental-cost-of-batteries.html">huge</a> environmental impact of batteries to consider. There was a growing demand for energy efficient sensors.Smart and Autonomous - With use-cases becoming more diverse and expansive, there was a huge need for sensors that were capable of doing a fair share of the information processing and filtering themselves - relying as little as possible on mainstream computing devices. This would save a ton on data transfer and make systems more latency free and responsive, enabling real-time solutions.Multimodality - IoT solutions kept getting more complex and as a result, they demanded wireless sensors that were able to measure multiple parameters at the same time - offering a more rich and variegated picture of their environments.&nbsp;<h2>Newer, Faster and Better Sensors</h2>These pressures led to the development of modern day IoT sensors.&nbsp;Today’s wireless sensors are small and versatile - sometimes even as small as a <a href="https://samueli.ucla.edu/grain-of-sand-size-sensors-to-monitor-conditions-in-deep-unconventional-oil-reservoirs/">grain of sand</a>. This enables them to be deployed in a variety of use-cases across a wide range of form factors and environments.&nbsp;Secondly,modern day sensors tend to be quite miserly with their power consumption, often being able to operate for months or years on end with no battery replacements. Better yet, we have seen the advent of <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/what-is-energy-harvesting.html">energy harvesting</a> powered sensors that don’t need any external power source whatsoever (we’ll see more about them in the following section).&nbsp;Thirdly, wireless sensors are getting smarter and more multi-talented - allowing for multiple parameters to be monitored at the same time using a single device. They are also starting to feature some pretty serious on-board processing power, which enables local decision making.&nbsp;Fourthly, mass production and innovation have led to sensor prices falling precipitously in the last decade or so. This means that they are now way more affordable in large numbers, allowing for ambitious and powerful IoT solutions that can take massive problems head on.&nbsp;Perhaps most importantly, today’s IoT sensors are versatile and flexible - boasting of incredible levels of adaptability and interoperability. Open standards and flexible software interfaces mean that the powerful sensors of today are able to be seamlessly integrated into various kinds of IoT systems, across a stunning range of industries and applications. In fact, it might be <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/awesome-real-world-iot-applications.html">fair</a> to say that there isn’t a single major industry on the planet which hasn’t been transformed by IoT technology in the past few years.<h2>Batteryless Magic - Self-Powered Sensors</h2>Thanks to advances in energy harvesting technologies, today we are able to produce sensors that are 100% self-powered and battery-free.&nbsp;Sounds pretty crazy doesn’t it?It’s <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/ambient-energy-and-io-t-a-perfect-match-for-a-greener-tomorrow.html">true</a> though. <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/batteryless-sensors-reshaping-the-world.html">Batteryless</a> IoT is very much a reality today. These sensors are able to draw power from their surroundings - be it in the form of radio waves, vibrational energy, heat, light or a number of other sources.&nbsp;They are able to harness the energy required for their operation from the surroundings and completely eliminate the need for any external power source. This gives them a number of pretty compelling advantages over their battery powered predecessors.&nbsp;Firstly, there is the money saved on battery replacements and periodic maintenance. Self-powered sensors are way cheaper to run over their lifetimes than battery-powered sensors. That number gets huge especially when large scale deployments are considered.Secondly, there’s the environmental benefit of preventing hundreds of millions (if not billions) of batteries from ending up in landfills and oceans. This one’s a no brainer.&nbsp;Thirdly, self-powered sensors offer an incredible amount of flexibility in terms of where they can be deployed. The sky is truly the limit with batteryless sensors - they are totally untethered and can be taken wherever the imagination goes. They can be deployed in bio-implants, machinery, hilltops etc, with no second thought.&nbsp;Energy efficient sensors are one thing - but when sensors are self-powered and energy efficient, they can really bring an unbelievable amount of value to the table.&nbsp;<h2>Incredible Possibilities</h2>The future of IoT sensors is going to be filled with exciting new developments - firstly, they will continue to become smaller, smarter and more invisibly integrated into the fabric of our everyday lives. They will start to wedge themselves in practically every part of our surrounding environments and feed endless streams of pertinent data to the devices around us, making them more intuitive and snag-free.&nbsp;Moreover, the emergence of batteryless sensor technology is incredibly promising from a sustainability point of view, especially amidst this climate of rising ecological uncertainty and climate related distress.&nbsp;The story of wireless sensors is far from finished though. As we move into the future, we are going to see new materials, sensing mechanisms and data analysis modalities. There is a good chance we’ll get to see some pretty futuristic stuff like self-healing sensors and completely embedded sensors.&nbsp;The sensors of tomorrow, as they grow in sophistication and power, will transform entire industries and unlock a data-driven future where we could get to see incredible levels of efficiency, sustainability, productivity and human well-being.&nbsp;Now, that’s something to look forward to!

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Sensing The Future - The History and Evolution of IoT Sensors

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="True" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1.0)" data-projectid="NoTujVLrcpeP8mNuDbsp">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io/text-to-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs Text to Speech</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>We are living in the age of artificial intelligence. AI’s star is truly on the ascendancy. Artificial Intelligence is now so thoroughly permeated into our everyday lives that we don’t even notice it most of the time. From driverless cars zooming through our streets, to virtual assistants curating bespoke shopping experiences, artificial intelligence has really penetrated deep into the structures that underlie our everyday lives.&nbsp;The possibilities that AI opens up are immense - truth be told, nobody knows how far we can take this technology - it’s still very much in its adolescence. Computational intelligence was once something limited to the pages of science fiction but today, we are standing at the precipice of a whole new paradigm.AI’s transformative power has already started changing the way we interact with technology - ChatGPT is a great example of how AI is starting to feel indispensable to the everyday tech-user - much like Google, a couple of decades ago.&nbsp;So, what makes AI so powerful?At the core of AI’s power is its ability to analyse unimaginably huge datasets, recognise patterns, learn from them and subsequently make decisions with little to no intervention. This is the underlying principle that allows AI to disrupt such a diverse range of fields - be it healthcare, where AI-driven algorithms make high-quality diagnoses that put seasoned physicians to shame; or finance - where AI-based models identify market trends ahead of time and inform prudent investment strategies; or nature protection, where AI-powered systems monitor large ecosystems in real-time, enabling proactive responses to impending threats, both manmade and natural.&nbsp;Artificial Intelligence is able to go through tons more data, more quickly than any human or set of humans could ever hope to. This is what makes it so efficient and powerful.&nbsp;It would be fair to say that a big part of AI’s might is due to our data collection capabilities. AI is nothing without large amounts of data.&nbsp;<h2>Name of The Game Is Data Collection</h2>AI is only as good as the data that it has at its disposal - all AI systems are essentially pattern-recognition and matching systems that work with a high degree of sophistication. They learn to match patterns by being trained on massive amounts of data - which they use to identify correlations and create decision-making heuristics.&nbsp;The quality of the data has a direct impact on the efficacy of the AI system. This is important to understand because there is a common trap that people and companies fall into when they think of AI as some kind of a magic bullet - a mythical solution that can plug holes in any system or fix any problem. That’s hardly the case.&nbsp;AI is better understood as a fast and efficient way of organising and retrieving large amounts of information. Granted, that’s a bit of an oversimplification, at least with respect to some of the more advanced AI systems going around today. But, it’s not too far off the mark.&nbsp;The idea we’re getting at here is this - organisations often place too much focus on the AI model itself, and not enough on the data it works with. Collecting, cleaning, labelling and maintaining a high quality data set is hugely important - probably more so than how fancy the AI algorithm is. A hugely capable AI engine that runs on poor data is just no good. The converse - a reasonably simple AI system that works on a huge amount of high quality, well organised data can be a hugely powerful tool.&nbsp;AI systems that are based on biased or inaccurate data will inevitably inherit those biases and inaccuracies. This can lead to disastrous outcomes and skewed decision making - imagine that happening in a healthcare setting for instance - it could mean the difference between life and death.&nbsp;AI systems gather data in a number of ways - direct data collection methods like web scraping, sensors, surveys, user interactions etc; they could leverage pre-existing data sets or simulate artificial data sets. However, all of these data harvesting methods are digital-only except for sensors.&nbsp;Wireless sensors are the only way for AI systems to gather data from the physical world, as it were. Wireless sensors act as eyes and ears for AI systems, on the ground, feeding them data in real-time.Wireless sensors allow AI systems access to a practically endless feed of raw data - enabling them to make decisions that are highly accurate and relevant to the ground realities pervading a given situation. Today, thanks to the advent of <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/what-is-energy-harvesting.html">energy harvesting</a> technologies, we are seeing the emergence of self-powered, battery-free sensors that can be deployed pretty much anywhere, irrespective of location or accessibility. Add to this the vast internet coverage made possible by 5G and we have a recipe for some majorly disruptive transformation.&nbsp;This is especially the case in remote use-cases where self-powered IoT sensors make sure AI systems are supplied with a relentless stream of accurate, real-time data. In use-cases such as <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/precision-agriculture-using-less-to-grow-more.html">precision agriculture</a>, this is invaluable to the accuracy and precision of an AI system’s decisions.<h2>The Symbiosis Between IoT Sensors and AI</h2>The meteoric rise of AI over the last few years has coincided with IoT’s similar trajectory. Both these technologies stand as the cutting edge of information technology, dramatically transforming nearly every aspect of human life today.&nbsp;IoT, in essence, refers to a system of interconnected nodes that are able to communicate with one another independently - these nodes today have become so small and powerful that we are able to deploy hundreds if not thousands of them in locations as remote as <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10200785#:~:text=The%20technology%20is%20used%20to,speak%20IoT%20platform%20for%20analysis.">coal mines</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319157821000483">forests</a>.&nbsp;IoT systems, through their wireless sensors, are able to collect a continuous stream of data from their surrounding environments - this can be any kind of data - temperature, heat, moisture levels, light, sound - well you name it! This makes them a perfect companion for the analytical prowess that AI systems bring to the table.&nbsp;The data that IoT sensors collect is raw - when this raw data is fed into AI systems, it allows them to create predictions and insights or even intervene in meaningful ways. For instance, the heart rate data from a fitness tracker, temperature data from a farm or traffic flow data from a smart city, when funnelled into AI systems, could act as precious fodder that helps us glean a hugely diverse range of actionable insights. This allows AI to extend its reach into the physical world, making it a much more powerful and versatile tool in our technological arsenal.&nbsp;This is a symbiotic relationship at its best - without the analytical might of artificial intelligence, the huge amounts of data that wireless sensors gather is next to useless. Similarly, without rich troves of high quality data, the most sophisticated AI system has nothing to work with - they need each other and enable each other in the most fundamental of ways.&nbsp;Imagine self-powered sensors powered by energy harvesting embedded in buildings, bridges, factories, farms or traffic lights, silently gathering endless streams of data, without any manpower or battery replacements. This could pave the way for a truly smart ecosystem where data flows seamlessly across platforms, applications and modalities, making life easier in the process.&nbsp;Data from wireless sensors can be used by AI in multiple ways - real-time monitoring where wireless sensors keep a live relay of data running continuously, enabling the AI system to analyse the incoming streams in real-time, make decisions on the go and adapt while running. This could be best imagined as part of an AI-based patient monitoring system or traffic-flow monitoring system, where delays simply can’t be afforded.&nbsp;Then, we have a predictive analytics kind of use-case, where AI models trained on historical data can make data-driven predictions pertaining to impending events - for example, think of a system designed to predict and prevent equipment failures; or an AI-powered weather forecasting system.&nbsp;Thirdly, we have pattern recognition. This is where AI identifies covert patterns in highly complex sensor data, unearthing insights that would have otherwise been nearly impossible to spot. Think early disease detection, consumer behaviour analysis etc.&nbsp;Lastly, sensors can be implemented in automation and control systems that use the data input to actuate interventions autonomously, without any human interference e.g. driverless cars, smart home technologies, robotics etc.&nbsp;The possibilities are endless for innovation and disruption when AI and IoT sensors join hands.&nbsp;<h2>Use Cases for Batteryless Sensor-based AI</h2>Let’s take a look at some examples of how battery-free sensors could be used along with AI in real-life scenarios. This is by no means an exhaustive list - just a few relatable use-cases.&nbsp;<h3>1. Autonomous Vehicles</h3>Self-driving cars and other forms of autonomous, unmanned transport such as drones require a continuous stream of data - this is made possible by wireless sensors (LIDAR, cameras, radar etc). This continuous data stream is crucial for them to navigate environments safely in real-time, avoiding obstacles and potential threats.&nbsp;These vehicles often come with integrated sensors that are able to harness and process large amounts of data on the go, constantly keeping the vehicle’s AI system updated on its surroundings.&nbsp;<h3>2. Healthcare</h3>This is by far the most exciting use case for batteryless sensors and AI. Energy harvesting sensors enable continuous monitoring devices that can track various biological and biochemical parameters in a patient, remotely.&nbsp;For example, imagine a heart rate sensor that tracks a patient’s heart rate data continuously and relaying it to the back end where an AI system monitors the data and slices it to identify patterns. When the AI detects an aberration, it alerts medical personnel immediately, potentially saving the patient’s life.&nbsp;This is just one example of what could be done using IoT sensors and AI in the field of healthcare. The possibilities are endless. Personalised healthcare could get a big boost with this kind of a setup.&nbsp;Sensors and AI can also enable people to enjoy more sovereignty over their health and well being by making a huge array of data-driven metrics available to them. This could enable a more holistic approach to healthcare where the individual has enough information at their disposal to make better health choices over a period of time.&nbsp;<h3>3. Smart Agriculture</h3>This is an application that’s growing in popularity at a tremendous rate. Today, smart farms deploy hundreds of batteryless sensors that monitor various parameters such as temperature, soil pH, moisture, mineral level etc.&nbsp;These wireless sensors provide AI systems with data which they use to optimise irrigation, planting, pest control, fertiliser use etc. Access to rich data streams enables farmers to make sure their yields stay high in spite of threats like erratic weather patterns and pests.&nbsp;<h3>4. Industrial IoT (IIoT)</h3>Self-powered IoT sensors are being used along with AI in industrial settings to monitor the conditions of heavy equipment and machinery. They also help keep track of operational efficiency and impending maintenance needs - i.e predictive maintenance.&nbsp;<h3>5. Smart Buildings</h3>Batteryless sensors are deployed in smart buildings for a variety of purposes - they collect data on various parameters such as energy usage, occupancy and environmental conditions within a building.&nbsp;AI uses this data to economise energy expenditure and offer more comfort and convenience to the occupants of the building. This kind of a setup is what we’re going to see in a lot of homes in the coming years with smart home technologies becoming increasingly popular.&nbsp;<h2>Batteryless Sensors Right For AI’s Future</h2>Energy harvesting powered sensors are practically a necessity for the future of AI. As AI continues its trend of explosive growth and expansion, we are seeing a dramatic increase in demand for remote sensing capabilities that battery-powered sensors and other data-collection modalities simply aren’t able to meet.&nbsp;Batteryless sensors have a few aces up their sleeve in this regard. First off, there is the sustainability aspect - self-powered sensors harvest energy from their environment. So, they don’t need any batteries. This makes a huge difference, at scale, to the problems of mining for rare minerals and toxic battery waste. The absence of a battery also means that these energy harvesting powered sensors require less maintenance and cost less to run than their battery powered counterparts. They also last longer.&nbsp;Moreover, batteryless sensors totally eliminate some big hazards associated with batteries such as leaks and explosions - this is a very important point to consider when we take into account the fact that most of these sensors are going to be deployed in far flung areas, far from human supervision - or at least that’s the idea.&nbsp;The absence of a battery makes these self-powered sensors very compact and diminutive, making it easy for them to be embedded into various kinds of systems.&nbsp;Last but perhaps most importantly in the context of AI systems, battery-free sensors are able to offer continuous operation - this is a huge plus point in difficult environments. They are able to harvest as much energy as they need, store it in capacitors and keep up with the demands of the system without ever running out of juice.&nbsp;<h2>Garbage in, garbage out</h2>Garbage in, garbage out goes the adage - it sums up the relationship between AI and data perfectly. Without high-quality data sourced from a diverse range of sources - data that’s representative of various kinds of permutations and combinations - AI systems are effectively crippled.&nbsp;This is why self-powered sensors represent a huge leap forward for the future of AI. They enable reliable, long-term data collection that’s continuous, seamless, cost-effective, reliable and perhaps most importantly, environmentally sustainable.&nbsp;The integration of self-powered sensors and AI is not just a matter of iterative development - it’s much more radical than that - it’s a proper paradigm shift. Powered by batteryless sensors, AI can truly spread its wings and go places that were unimaginable even a few years ago. Thanks to reliable batteryless sensors, today, we are able to harness the might of AI in very remote use-cases where access to power can be a huge problem.&nbsp;The future of AI looks bright - it looks all set to deliver on its huge promise of reshaping the world, thanks to the silent, continuous humming of batteryless sensors in the background!

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No Data, No AI – The Game Changing Role of Self-Powered Sensors

This transition that the internet has undergone - from being a pretty nifty tool for information exchange and communication to something that’s indispensable in running our everyday lives is something many of us have lived through and witnessed first hand. &nbsp;Today, the internet, as we know it, is undergoing yet another transformation - It is moving beyond the confines of traditional computing devices such as computers and mobile phones and penetrating into the wider array of everyday objects around us - this, essentially, is the internet of things at work.&nbsp;But be that as it may, it is a unanimously accepted fact that while the Internet of things has blown up tremendously in the last few years, it is yet to reach the dizzying heights that it was <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/internet/popular-internet-of-things-forecast-of-50-billion-devices-by-2020-is-outdated">predicted </a>to reach.&nbsp;Why is this?Like anything else, there are a number of reasons as to why IoT failed to live up to the initial hype that it generated. But more than anything else, the principal reason for this lackadaisical showing was the <a href="/article/what-is-the-internet-of-things-onio-explains.html">battery problem.</a>&nbsp;If the internet had to become truly limitless, then it was not going to be powered by batteries - that much was clear.&nbsp;But, if not batteries, what then?<h3>Wireless sensing become self-powered</h3>In retrospect, it sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? If batteries are the problem, then why not get rid of them altogether?Well, yes, but you have to remember that for decades, we actually looked at batteries as the holy grail of all things wireless. For wireless sensing to have started looking past the battery - in a major way no less - took quite some doing.&nbsp;But here’s the thingWe HAVE well and truly entered an era where IoT designs are no longer tethered to batteries - we have entered the era of the self-powered sensor.&nbsp;And we promise we are not being hyperbolic when we say that self-powered sensing is the biggest thing to happen to the internet of things and maybe even the future of technology, to be fair.&nbsp;And that’s not all - self-powered sensors don’t just enable a more robust and pliable IoT, but they actually allow IoT to go where it’s never been before - or actually, could go before!In the sections below, we’ll take a closer look at what self-powered sensors are, how they work and why they matter.&nbsp;<h3>What is self-powered sensing?</h3>Sensor networks form the building blocks of any IoT setup. Be it smart cities, smart factories or even automated surveillance systems in apartment buildings, they consist of sensor networks that work together to collect, relay and process data, in order to perform certain predefined tasks and optimise them.&nbsp;It should come as no surprise to anybody that wireless sensors need to have a power unit that supplies energy to them.&nbsp;This is where the trouble begins for battery-based solutions - imagine a sensor network consisting of say 100 sensors - In any real use-case, these sensors will most likely be placed in various locations across a facility. Moreover, a lot of these locations are also likely to be hard-to-reach spots. It makes sense to use sensors in the first place, only because they can be positioned in pretty remote places and collect data.Now, considering these variables of high mobility, wide geographical distribution and wireless operation, sustainable operation of wireless sensors using batteries becomes a major question mark. In fact, it becomes a near impossibility if you factor in sustainability and economy.&nbsp;Voila! Enter self-powered sensors&nbsp;Cutting right down to the chase, self-powered sensors, as the name suggests, are sensors that are able to generate the energy that they need to function by themselves - i.e they do not need to be powered by an external source of power such as batteries.&nbsp;It is really that simple.&nbsp;<blockquote>“Ok, so the next question becomes,if they don’t need batteries, where do these self-powered sensors get their juice from?”</blockquote>Great question! Well, they just suck it out of <a href="/article/harvesting-energy-from-thin-air.html">thin air </a>really!&nbsp;More on that later, But for now, let’s take a brief look at the interesting and eventful history of self-powered sensors.The idea for self-powered sensors that harvest energy from their surroundings (i.e ambient energy) and use it to transmit signals was first proposed by a scientist called Wang all the way back in 2006! He was the first to propose the radical idea of cutting the sensor off from batteries altogether and making them autonomously powered units that could communicate with a larger network.&nbsp;Since then, advances in <a href="/article/niche-energy-harvesting-technologies.html">energy harvesting </a>technologies have enabled self-powered sensors to go from strength to strength in the IoT world, with <a href="/article/energy-harvesting-human-body.html">newer </a>and <a href="/article/energy-harvestin-from-raindrops.html">newer </a>modalities emerging every day. &nbsp;Sensors have come quite a long way since their inception. Speaking strictly technically, the earliest sensors that fit any accepted definition of what a sensor is, were devices called sundials that were invented in Ancient China around 700 BC. In 400 BC, this led to the development of a device called a “sinan” which was instrumental in the furthering of maritime activities back then. Cut to the 21st century and sensing today is about <a href="/article/energy-harvestin-from-raindrops.html">MEMS </a>- or in other words, nano-sized particles which can collect and transmit data. The advent of self-powered sensors based on energy harvesting technology is probably the biggest enabler of this drastic improvement in our sensing capabilities.&nbsp;After all, it doesn’t take a very smart person to figure out that you can’t fit batteries into dust-sized sensor particles.&nbsp;Today, self-powered sensors are being used in all sorts of cool, futuristic applications such as smart cities, GPS systems, driverless cars, VR systems, entertainment devices etc. As we move further on this journey, they are only going to be playing a bigger and bigger role in shaping the world around us.&nbsp;<blockquote>“Ok, all that sounds good but what’s the big deal with these self-powered sensors? Like, what makes them so great? How do they make things easier?”</blockquote>We need to take a look at where IoT is headed to understand that.&nbsp;<h3>Forests, Mountains and Oceans</h3>As IoT started venturing out into uncharted terrain, it became more and more clear that the battery would be a cross it just couldn’t bear. With advancements in IoT, smart cities and smart manufacturing, sensors as a fundamental unit of signal processing started becoming a ubiquitous necessity.&nbsp;This trend is only going to continue at a blistering pace as we head into the future.&nbsp;Sensors are being placed in all sorts of locations and many of them are super-remote and inaccessible - as we mentioned earlier in the post, in a lot of cases, that is kind of the point of using sensors in the first place. These locations could include long-distance transmission lines, oil and gas pipelines, international optical cables, jungles, seas, hilltops etc. just to name a few.&nbsp;And that’s just one kind of remote.With health technology booming like never before under the wing of IoT, sensors are increasingly being deployed in the inner recesses of the human body.&nbsp;So, with sensors being deployed in large quantities and that too in very hard-to-access spots, it is massive if they can power themselves.&nbsp;We’ve spoken about it in many of our posts before - maintaining and replacing the batteries in an operation comprising thousands or say even hundreds of node devices is a logistical nightmare. Actually, in a lot of cases, it’s more like a logistical impossibility. Also, that kind of a solution wouldn’t make any kind of economic sense.&nbsp;Think about it - you’ve got sensors placed inside bridges, inside tunnels, under high-speed rail lines etc - now, how in the world would it make sense for these sensors to be powered by batteries, which even in the best of scenarios, need to be replaced at some point?And trust us when we say this is by no means a comprehensive and exhaustive list of all the inaccessible places that IoT sensors can find themselves in - forests, mountain-tops, in the oceans - these are not far-fetched imaginary use-cases - we are truly witnessing an era of hyper-connectedness where sensors play an important role in nearly all aspects of human life.&nbsp;<h3>Advantages of self-powered sensors</h3><h4>1. Lower cost for businesses</h4>Batteries cost money. Scheduling regular maintenance costs money. Arranging for used batteries to be disposed of safely costs money. With self-powered sensors, all of these costs are practically eliminated in one fell swoop.From a business perspective, this is huge. After all, any business is only going to adopt a new technology only if it’s going to translate into savings. With battery-based IoT solutions, businesses were, understandably, quite hesitant to cough up the initial investment required to set up these systems. However, with energy harvesting based designs, it is very likely that they would be more bullish and optimistic.&nbsp;Self-powered sensors make for a lower initial investment, a lower bill of materials (up to 90% reduction in some cases) and a significantly reduced maintenance cost over the period of ownership. Now, if you are a business owner, what’s not to like?<h4>2. Better for the environment</h4>It should come as no surprise to anyone that nearly every move we make as an industrialised civilisation comes at a cost to the planet. Thankfully, more and more people have started to wake up and take notice of the rate of ecological damage that is underway.&nbsp;Batteries, ironically, were touted as the “environmentally friendly” energy option just a few years ago. And for the most part, this is understandable - compared to fossil fuels, they are a more sustainable way of obtaining power.&nbsp;But as we’ve<a href="/article/environmental-cost-of-batteries.html"> explained in detail before</a>, batteries do come with a pretty ecological and humanitarian bill themselves. The more we find out about the atrocious difficulties posed to entire communities in order to mine lithium and cobalt, not to mention the ghastly impact it has on local water supply and biodiversity, the harder it gets to just turn a blind eye.&nbsp;And it’s not just the mining for these minerals that makes batteries ecologically questionable - it’s also the disposal. Batteries need to be discarded very carefully, which in a lot of cases, they are not. Even if, hypothetically, all of the required precautions are taken all of the time, we simply can’t be throwing away hundreds of billions of batteries. It’s simply not an option.&nbsp;In all fairness, this has got to be the biggest point in favour of self-powered sensors.&nbsp;<h4>3. Leaner, meaner and more flexible</h4>Self-powered sensors are smaller and lighter than their battery-based counterparts. The decreased heft and bulk translates to more freedom if you are tasked with designing the device around the sensor.&nbsp;Imagine you are meant to design a piece of smart clothing - say, a smart sneaker, that tracks the number of miles you’ve run and helps you out with tips to improve your running - now, isn’t it obvious that a smaller chip with fewer moving parts would give you more freedom on how the shoe that surrounds it can turn out?This is a massive advantage, especially from the point of view of manufacturers.&nbsp;<h4>4. Self-powered sensors can literally go anywhere</h4>The whole point of IoT is to unhook the internet from desks and handheld devices and literally take it everywhere. An IoT that is bound by limits on location and terrain isn’t much fun.&nbsp;With self-powered sensors, IoT is well and truly unshackled. Freed. Unchained.&nbsp;Self-powered sensors can literally be deployed anywhere. Let that sink in - ANYWHERE!Because they are theoretically meant to require ZERO maintenance, they can essentially be chucked deep into the ocean or even sent to outer space, if you like. More realistically, think about bionic implants or nano-sized diagnostic devices that are designed to be deployed inside the human body - well, with self-powered sensors, they are eminently possible.&nbsp;This is another major advantage that self-powered sensors bring to the table - they truly enable the internet of things to break its chains and scream towards the seemingly endless possibilities that it was always meant to empower.&nbsp;<h3>In a nutshell</h3>At ONiO, we have zero doubts about the fact that the future of IoT rests on energy harvesting based sensors. Self-powered sensors are simply the only way we can bring our crazy IoT visions into reality.With the human population growing at an unheard-of rate, radical solutions are the only way we are going to cope with our mounting energy needs and the impending energy crisis. Solutions like self-powered sensors emerged out of a genuine need - a stifling, cramping necessity - to innovate. It simply remained our only option.&nbsp;If that sounds grim, it shouldn’t. Because, the very fact that we are able to produce self-powered sensors that can draw energy from the air around them sounds pretty inspiring. It’s a testament to just what’s capable when people put their minds to it.&nbsp;

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What are self-powered sensors and why are they transforming IoT?

In the early years of IoT, there was a lot of anticipation and hype about how big this new technology was going to get in just a few years - predictions made just a few years ago&nbsp; were often <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2017-02-07-gartner-says-8-billion-connected-things-will-be-in-use-in-2017-up-31-percent-from-2016">ludicrous</a>. There were a lot of mentions of a “trillion sensor world” in just a few years. There was one major problem however with these predictions though - the Internet of Things was not quite able to launch into explosive growth, as expected.&nbsp;As of 2023, we are still nowhere close to a trillion sensors.&nbsp;<h2>What was the problem?</h2>The biggest hurdle was that IoT technology was not able to find a power solution that could keep pace with the exponential growth that was happening with processing power.&nbsp;Microelectronics technology was on a rampage - packing more and more computing power into the tiniest amounts of real estate - but battery technology simply couldn’t keep up - While processing power was increasing at an exponential rate, improvements in power capacity were significantly slower - processing power typically doubles once every 2 years whereas it takes a whopping 10 years for battery capacity to double.In the early years of IoT technology, this mismatch proved to be quite a significant setback - wireless sensors were getting faster, more robust and cheaper. Internet connectivity was improving by leaps and bounds, both in terms of coverage and reliability. Auxiliary technologies like AI, ML etc were cropping up seemingly everywhere and probably much more importantly, the true scope of this technology’s immense potential was really not lost - there was enough awareness about the technology and the various possibilities that it could open up. But, in spite of all these variables stacked up in its favour, IoT technology couldn’t quite take off as spectacularly as it was expected to.&nbsp;The battery <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/energy-harvesting-trumps-batteries.html">problem</a> held the growth of IoT back for many years - batteries came with a number of problems - the biggest one of them being the terrible humanitarian and <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/environmental-cost-of-batteries.html">environmental consequences</a> of using them including human rights violations, child abuse, water pollution and toxic waste.&nbsp;But the problem wasn’t just that - after all, environmental concerns accompany nearly every industry - our automobiles, even the <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/are-batteries-really-the-answer.html">battery-powered</a> ones, are super resource-intensive and environmentally unsustainable - that doesn’t seem to stop us.&nbsp;So, what’s the problem then with IoT sensors?&nbsp;It’s not so much the environmental angle as it is a matter of economic unsustainability that delayed the meteoric rise that IoT was predicted to make.&nbsp;<h2>The problem with battery-powered IoT</h2>Why is IoT so revolutionary in the first place?It’s because of the sheer scale and complexity of information exchange that it enables. Let’s compare them with traditional computers such as PCs and laptops - A computer is nothing but a&nbsp; data-processing device. It’s a device that enables various kinds of information to be processed quickly and efficiently.The internet is a network of computers - an interconnected network of data-processing devices that act as nodes that communicate with one another enabling a large, distributed network that is capable of exchanging data at rapid speeds, enabling a wider range of information exchange and access.&nbsp;The internet of things was conceived from the question why confine internet access to traditional computing devices? Why not democratise internet access and connect all kinds of objects to the internet?That is IoT technology in a nutshell - Wireless sensors and microcontrollers play the role of nodes. Every node in the network plays the role of minimalistic computer, gathering data and transmitting it throughout the network. Overall, this rich treasure trove of information is then processed to identify useful patterns that are then used to actuate desirable interventions directed towards increased efficiency and productivity.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/onio/image/upload/v1681894771/onio-website/2023-04-01/onio_potato_farm_sensor_921eb28b78.jpg"></figure>So, the main advantage that IoT brings to the table is scale. After all, you can’t install a desktop computer in a hundred different locations across a large <a href="https://pulse.microsoft.com/en/transform-en/manufacturing-en/fa2-les-producteurs-de-pommes-de-terre-profitent-de-linnovation-technologique-davr-et-de-capteurs-ido/">potato farm</a> - that’s where IoT sensors come in. Wireless sensors allow for large numbers of nodes to be deployed over a large operation area. This element is crucial to the IoT enterprise.&nbsp;Now, if we are to deploy hundreds or even thousands of wireless sensors, possibly in remote and unreachable locations, then, the idea of these sensors being battery-powered is simply untenable. Billions and billions of everyday objects around us have to be hooked onto the internet using wireless sensors if the IoT is to realise its potential and help us create a world of connected things.If billions and billions of wireless sensors are to be powered by batteries, that would represent a nightmare both in economic and ecological terms. The <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/environmental-cost-of-batteries.html">environmental</a> aspect is quite obvious - modern <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/are-batteries-really-the-answer.html">batteries</a> require rare minerals like Lithium and Cobalt which cause untold ecological devastation when mined in large quantities. That’s not all - batteries run out and when they do, they need to be disposed of - which presents another nightmare of a challenge.&nbsp;When billions of battery-powered sensors are accounted for, this solution is simply not a solution at all.&nbsp;The picture is not that different when seen from the economics point of view. When it comes to battery-powered sensors, the incentives simply don’t line up - if an enterprise is to invest a sizeable sum of money upfront in fitting their operation with a new technology, they simply won’t do so unless they are compelled by potential savings that the upgrade will bring them - i.e they will want a return on their investment. A return that exceeds the amount invested over the long term and brings them more gains, either in terms of increased efficiency and productivity or through direct cost-savings.&nbsp;With battery-powered sensors, this incentive is simply not there for the business. The value proposition of battery-powered sensors looks something like this - invest huge amounts of money upfront and then haemorrhage money throughout the lifecycle of the network by forking out money for battery replacements and periodic maintenance.&nbsp;You can see why this proposition doesn’t make a whole lot of economic sense if you are a business owner. The business is simply not being incentivised to move away from its set ways and invest in this new technology. And any sound economist will tell you that no change in behaviour is possible without the right kind of incentives - for individuals or for organisations.&nbsp;Initial work was directed at developing better batteries and ultra-low-power microcontrollers. These did push the ball forward but were far from being elegant solutions. After all, no matter how long a battery lasts, it is always going to need replacement at some point, which translates to a recurring expense. Moreover, with an increasing number of people becoming acutely aware of the global ecological crisis, this solution was not really seen as anything more than an interim step in the process of finding a more long-term solution.&nbsp;<h2>Enter batteryless sensors</h2>The advent of <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/how-do-self-powered-sensors-work.html">Self-powered sensors</a> or <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/self-powered-batteryless-sensors.html">batteryless</a> sensors represented a notable landmark in the history of IoT technology.&nbsp;With IoT technology growing rapidly and featuring prominently in nearly every aspect of human endeavour, it was imperative that we found a way to free IoT technology from the tyranny of the battery.&nbsp;To this end, a number of alternatives were explored until <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/what-is-energy-harvesting.html#:~:text=Energy%20harvesting%20(Also%20known%20as,be%20stored%20for%20future%20use.">energy harvesting</a> technology emerged as a clear winner. Over the last few years, batteryless IoT sensors powered by various kinds of energy harvesting technologies have emerged as clear winners in this race.&nbsp;Batteryless sensors are able to harness the energy required for their operation from their environments, completely eliminating the need for an external power source. They are able to extract tiny amounts of energy from stray <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/benefits-of-rf-energy-harvesting.html#:~:text=RF%20energy%20harvesting%20essentially%20means,%2C%20phone%20towers%2C%20or%20radar.">electromagnetic</a> waves, sunlight, <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/energy-harvesting-from-smart-floors.html">vibrations</a> and <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/what-is-thermoelectric-harvesting.html">thermal</a> gradients.&nbsp;If that doesn’t simply sound astounding and otherworldly, look again - the idea of sensors that literally powered themselves out of thin air would have sounded nothing short of ridiculous just a few years ago. Today however, energy harvesting powered nodes are very much a reality and they are increasingly featured in many mass-market IoT devices.&nbsp;<h2>Clear Incentives</h2>Economists see all human decision making as a function of responding to incentives. In economic terms, all human decisions are made in a bid to maximise gain and minimise loss.As we mentioned earlier, battery-powered sensors were just not able to offer businesses the right kind of incentives. However, with batteryless sensors, the equation looks very different.&nbsp;With batteryless microcontrollers and sensors, the BOM (bill of materials) is much smaller. It is <a href="https://www.onio.com/products/onio-zero.html">estimated</a> that typically, businesses could save anything from 40% to 80% on their total BOM cost, when they opt for a batteryless microcontroller.&nbsp;Not just that.&nbsp;With batteryless microcontrollers, the savings are not just in terms of the BOM cost. Over the life cycle of the product, there are other substantial gains. Battery costs are obviously saved but it’s not just that either - over the life cycle of an IoT setup, businesses will have to plan for recurring maintenance costs and battery-replacement costs. Moreover, battery-based solutions are more likely to result in unexpected downtimes which are also potentially costly.&nbsp;Batteryless IoT solutions eliminate all these costs in one fell swoop. They require practically no maintenance and because of fewer moving parts, unexpected failures are much less likelier.&nbsp;<h2>Economic Impact of IoT</h2>The internet of things has had an indelible impact on the global economy. No field of enterprise will ever be the same now, following the massive explosion in IoT adoption. IoT-enabled connected technology has dramatically altered the global business landscape and that is not an overstatement by any means.&nbsp;Connected technology has changed the way we do literally everything, from raising <a href="https://www.iotforall.com/use-case/livestock-management">cattle</a> to managing factories and everything in between.&nbsp;A recent <a href="https://www.frontier-economics.com/media/1167/201803_the-economic-impact-of-iot_frontier.pdf">study</a> tried to establish the relationship between IoT technology and economic growth in objective, data-driven terms.&nbsp;The results showed that a 10% rise in M2M connections (used as a proxy for total IoT investment) typically leads to yearly GDP increases of about 0.7%. To put that number in perspective, let’s take the United States of America and Germany as examples. Both these countries are veritable economic powerhouses and are extremely major players on the global level. A 10% increase in IoT investment in these countries, would, according to this trend, result in a net GDP gain of about $2.2 trillion in America’s case and $370 billion in Germany’s case. These are truly staggering numbers and go a long way towards highlighting why IoT technology draws the hype that it does.&nbsp;These numbers are just to offer an insight into the mind boggling economic promise of IoT technology - they do not even take into account the various knock-on effects that IoT technology has on the economy - such as increased productivity, improved connectivity, better quality control etc.&nbsp;The hardest thing to quantify will be the slew of previously unimagined economic opportunities that IoT technology will enable in the future.&nbsp;What IoT technology can do is crunch large amounts of data and identify patterns that we simply didn’t know existed. Sensors allow us to collect, synthesise and make sense of vast quantities of information, uncovering new breakthroughs in the process. As more and more objects become connected to the internet and start interacting with one another, an entire universe of opportunities will open up.&nbsp;There is simply no way we can put a dollar value on the sort of innovation that this level of interconnectedness will bring.&nbsp;<h2>Developing Economies</h2>The economic impact of IoT technology is expected to be especially significant In countries where resources and opportunities are scarce.&nbsp;Connected technology can drive socioeconomic growth right from the grassroots level in developing economies, making it more of a fair fight when they compete with developed countries in the global arena.&nbsp;More importantly, connected technology can help with efficient resource allocation and management, increasing quality of life in the process. This has an indirect effect on the economy of these countries - after all, when more people are able to access the basic resources needed to sustain life, it translates into a more robust marketplace, over a period of time.&nbsp;For instance, Portland State University is currently involved in a project called <a href="https://dil.berkeley.edu/data-analytics-toolkits/mezuri-platform/sweetlab/">SWEETlab</a> which is developing a number of projects aimed at improving living conditions in emerging economies using IoT technology.&nbsp;One of the projects that the lab has taken up is the setting up of <a href="http://cand.com.vn/Kinh-te/Loi-nhuan-khung-tu-nong-nghiep-thong-minh-365241/">smart</a> farms in Vietnam, where IoT-driven connected technology is being used to drive higher production efficiency and mitigate risk of crop failure due to pest infestations and erratic weather patterns. Wireless sensors are being used on these farms to monitor moisture levels and adjust irrigation accordingly. Additionally, various kinds of sensors are being used to track parameters such as temperature, humidity, nutrient levels etc.&nbsp;This is just one example of how connected technology translates to significant economic advantages in covert ways. Similar technologies are being <a href="https://www.wired.com/brandlab/2017/01/sensor-based-economy/">deployed</a> in other resource-poor settings - SWEETlab monitors have notably already been used in cooking stoves, water pumps and filters, in a number of countries such as India, Indonesia and Kenya.&nbsp;<h2>Path to The Future</h2>Researchers <a href="http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3165317">estimate</a> that as of today, there are over 50 billion smart, connected objects in the world. While this is indeed quite a way off from the trillion mark, that is still a heckuva lot of IoT sensors.&nbsp;And if the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/topics/IoT.jsp">National Science Foundation</a> is to be believed, we are not too far off from the 1 trillion mark either.&nbsp;All kinds of things around us are connected to the internet today thanks to IoT technology. We are generating incredible <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2010/08/04/schmidt-data/">amounts</a> of data and this is radically transforming the basic shape and texture of our economy.&nbsp;Without doubt, we are entering the era of the <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/mt/en/pages/technology/articles/mt-what-is-digital-economy.html">digital economy</a> - In many ways this is simply a different paradigm. a different way of organising our economic structures - something that is going to challenge us in a number of very fundamental ways. This digital economy is going to be a sensor-based economy. Wireless sensors are going to be the platform on which an entire gamut of future opportunities is going to be raised.&nbsp;Healthcare, construction, consumer electronics, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation - you name it - every sector is going to feel the pressure to transition quickly to this new sensor-driven paradigm. Real-time analytics and AI in all likelihood, are going to play huge roles in this new economic paradigm.&nbsp;Exciting stuff indeed. But only time will tell what the future holds for us.

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The Economics of Batteryless Sensors

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The Rise of the Eco-Conscious Consumer

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