Startup Can Power Trillions of Sensors in Everyday Objects with vibration energy scavenging instead of batteries

In a few short years, trillions of wireless sensors — embedded in everything from buildings to vehicles to household appliances to the bloodstream, up from 10 billion shipped annually today — will convey data of every type, over the internet, to interested parties of every kind.

Technology conceived at the University of Vermont could bring the sensor-driven IoT world closer to reality by helping overcome its Achilles’ heel: how all those sensors will be powered, given the impracticality and expense of installing and changing batteries.

A tiny vibration energy scavenging device half the size of a sugar cube could replace the need for batteries.

“The market for wireless sensors is finally taking off, and their power requirements have dropped to the point where a good vibrational energy scavenger is plenty,” Pister says. “And it looks like MicroGen has built a very good vibrational energy scavenger. It’s an exciting time for the company.”

Under the guidance of Wu, Andosca developed a novel theoretical model and optimum design parameters for the microscale harvester that allowed him to crank up its power to record levels.

BOLTTM – R MicroPower Generators are MEMS-based Vibrational Energy Harvesting Micro Power Generators (MPGs) MicroGen Systems’ BOLTTM family of Micro Power Generator products based on piezoelectric energy harvesting are fabricated using MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. These devices convert mechanical vibration to electrical energy (power), and the energy can be stored for later use using energy harvesting (EH) boards with advanced thin-film batteries or ultra-capacitors and power management electronics. MicroGen’s micro-generators are ideal to power autonomous non-wireless electronics, wireless sensors, and rechargeable batteries for a wide range of applications.

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