A group of Dutch scientists had made a remarkable invention with the development of an extremely tiny chip which derives power from radio waves. In more comprehensive explanation a tiny sensor has been developed which is powered by the radio waves which in turn are utilized for communicating information. The researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology have stated that this tiny sensor will help in the advancement of the Internet of Things industry in a strong fashion. Currently the Internet of Things is facing wide number of challenges ranging from the communication, development, design to attracting the attention of the targeted consumers.
Humans are surrounded by chips
In the modern society we are surrounded by the micro chips in all size and fashion on a large scale. A large number of consumer products companies are relying on tiny chip which are used to perform plethora of tasks ranging from temperature, light, air pollution and much more. These chips are deployed not just at home in various gadgets but also throughout the cities and smart homes and offices.
The biggest hurdle faced by the chip manufacturers is to make these sensors battery free. Nobody would like to charge all the devices each time their power runs out. The lead researcher Prof Peter Baltus says that their team has developed this tiny chip sensor with an aim of making itself chargeable. This tiny chip sensor can actively measure the temperature and its capabilities can be increased to measure light, movement and humidity as well. This sensor just measures round 2 sq mm and weighs 1.6 mg.
Tiny Chip: A low cost invention for future
This sensor also contains an antenna which captures the energy from a wireless router. This energy is then stored and utilized to measure temperature and sending a signal back to the router. Currently this chip has a relatively tiny range of 2.5 cm but with further research it can be extended up to 1m. Prof Baltus has stated that with further research and advancement they will be able to make it work for up to 5m.
Future prospects of this tiny chip
This sensor has the ability to operate even beneath the layer of paint, plastic or concrete. This makes it an ideal choice for assimilation into the buildings. Prof Baltus has pointed that their invention isn’t an expensive or costly affair rather it is extremely cheap. The cost of producing such individual chip will be just round 20 cents and one shouldn’t forget about its self recharging capability.
Apart from use in the building it can easily be used in the Internet of Things due to its self charging and low cost features. There is a prediction that Internet of Things market will explode in upcoming years with the launch of more and more connected devices at attractive price points. It is being estimated that 1.6 billion connected things, smart things as well as 518 million will be seen by 2016. This tiny chip can play a vital role in the progress and advancement of the Internet of Things in upcoming days.
