WiFi Backscatter Power to Battery-free Devices

Wifi backscatter power can work to provide power. A new wireless technology will allow battery-free devices (such as small scale wearable technology) to grab ambient wireless signal out of the air to provide power. Using the newly developed “Wi-Fi Backscatter” technology, created by engineers at University of Washington, two devices can communicate with each other by drawing signal from whatever ambient radio, TV, and cellular transmissions are passing through the air. The backscatter system makes use of a fraction of wifi power that normal wifi devices use (less than 10 microwatts) by installing an electronic tag with an antenna and circuitry, that connects up with wifi enables devices (laptops, smartphones). The tags encode data in real time and alter the wireless signal. With the current technology, UW’s Wi-Fi backscatter tags have connected at speeds of 1 kilobit per second at a range of about 2 meters between the devices. The… read more →