A major breakthrough in the Internet of Things (IoT) industry is set to revolutionize device connectivity. Industry giants Qualcomm, Intel, and PepsiCo have joined forces in the newly formed Ambient IoT Alliance, aiming to enable battery-free IoT devices that draw power from ambient energy sources. This technological advancement promises to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize electronic waste across multiple industries, including manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare.
What are Battery-free Devices?
Unlike conventional IoT devices that rely on batteries or direct power sources, Ambient IoT devices can harness energy from various ambient sources, such as radio frequency (RF) signals, thermal gradients, vibrations, and even indoor or outdoor light. This innovation eliminates the need for batteries, enabling scalable and cost-effective deployments of IoT solutions.
How Battery-free Devices Works?
Ambient IoT devices use energy-harvesting technologies to convert surrounding energy into usable power.
- RF Energy Harvesting: Captures energy from Wi-Fi, cellular signals, and other radio waves.
- Thermal Energy Harvesting: Uses temperature differences between surfaces and the surrounding environment to generate power.
- Vibration Energy Harvesting: Converts mechanical vibrations from machines, vehicles, and buildings into electrical energy.
- Light Energy Harvesting: Utilizes photovoltaic cells to capture energy from artificial and natural light sources.
These battery-free sensors can detect and transmit data related to temperature, humidity, motion, and location. They communicate using low-power wireless protocols such as Bluetooth, 5G Advanced, and Wi-Fi 802.11bp, making them highly compatible with existing smart infrastructure.
According to Kamesh Medapalli, Senior Vice President at Infineon Technologies, one of the alliance’s founding members,
Ambient IoT overcomes the limitations of traditional battery-reliant devices, paving the way for a sustainable and scalable IoT ecosystem.
The adoption of ambient IoT technology has already begun in key industries:
- Manufacturing & Industrial Automation: Sensors powered by environmental energy will monitor machine performance, predicting failures before they occur, thus reducing downtime and maintenance costs.
- Retail & Supply Chain Management: Companies like PepsiCo will use ambient IoT tags to track product conditions and locations in real-time, minimizing losses and optimizing inventory.
- Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Monitoring: Battery-free sensors will help monitor temperature-sensitive goods like vaccines, ensuring they remain within regulated conditions.
Future Impact
The Ambient IoT Alliance aims to standardize the development and deployment of battery-free IoT devices, working alongside industry bodies like IEEE, Bluetooth SIG, and 3GPP to ensure seamless interoperability. With projections estimating over 40 billion IoT devices by 2030, the alliance’s efforts could lead to a transformative shift in how businesses and consumers interact with smart technology.
Experts believe that by eliminating reliance on traditional batteries, ambient IoT will drastically cut down electronic waste, making IoT adoption more sustainable. David Su, CEO of Atmosic, emphasized,
The key to long-term IoT growth is sustainability. Ambient IoT enables continuous connectivity without battery limitations, ensuring efficiency and scalability.
With the backing of tech giants and industry leaders, ambient IoT is on track to becoming a mainstream technology, ushering in a future where smart devices operate seamlessly without power constraints. This breakthrough is expected to accelerate innovation, drive new business models, and revolutionize connectivity in the digital age.