By harnessing the power of wireless technology, we can create low-cost and eco-friendly large-area electronics for an expansive internet of things.
The world is moving towards a more interconnected space with the rise of smart technology. To achieve this, an international team led by KAUST suggests that innovative thin-film device technologies using organics, nano carbons, and metal oxides as alternative semiconductors can help create a cost and eco-friendly Internet of Things (IoT). This would enable objects like self-driving cars to detect obstacles on their own or home security systems to be remotely controlled – revolutionizing our lives in countless ways.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to grow exponentially in the next decade, with trillions of connected devices. Traditional battery-powered sensors can be costly and generate waste over time; however, alternative technologies such as energy harvesters that draw from their environment could offer a sustainable solution. Large-area electronics may unlock these sources for powering wireless sensor nodes on an unprecedented scale – creating massive potential.
KAUST alumnus Kalaivanan Loganathan teamed up with Thomas Anthopoulos and his colleagues to explore the advantages of large-area electronic technologies as an eco-friendly, wirelessly powered alternative for IoT sensors. Thanks to recent achievements in solution processing and low-temperature printing on biodegradable substrates like paper, they have designed versatile RF components that are more sustainable than their silicon counterparts.
Through their research and key contributions, the KAUST team is driving toward a more sustainable future. By manufacturing RF diodes capable of harvesting energy within the 5G/6G frequency range, they are exploring potential solutions to power billions of sensor nodes for internet-of-things applications. Beyond that, the integration with antennas and sensors promises further breakthroughs in low-power consumption technology for our increasingly digitized world.
