Wireless Devices Become Battery-Free By Using Existing TV And Cell Towers

The engineers at the University of Washington have been working on a new wireless communication system that will allow wireless devices to interact with each other without the use of batteries or wires for power.

Michelle Mia reported for UW Today that, “The new communication technique, which the researchers call ‘ambient backscatter,’ takes advantage of the TV and cellular transmissions that already surround us around the clock. Two devices communicate with each other by reflecting the existing signals to exchange information. The researchers built small, battery-free devices with antennas that can detect, harness and reflect a TV signal, which then is picked up by other similar devices.”

This new technology will allow people to communicate with each other without using batteries or wires to power their devices. “We can repurpose wireless signals that are already around us into both a source of power and a communication medium,” said lead researcher Shyam Gollakota, a UW assistant professor of computer science and engineering. (Source: UW Today)