A look at battery-less, mesh sensor nets
By Cees Links
,
Network World
, 04/15/2008
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Ultra-low-power ZigBee-based wireless mesh networks, powered by a variety of energy-harvesting technologies, make it possible
to create the first truly wireless and battery-less sense and control networks for regulating energy consumption in domestic
and industrial uses.
Homes, offices and factories waste energy on lighting, heating and air conditioning. With the help of light- and temperature-sensor
network technologies, energy conservation processes such as turning off lights and adjusting temperature now can be automated,
reducing costs.
Until now, wires and cables for power and connectivity have limited the widespread adoption of sensor networks by making them
difficult and expensive to install and maintain. Battery-powered wireless networks can simplify installation, but their high
power consumption and the corresponding need for regular battery replacement renders this option costly to maintain. Nobody
wants to replace hundreds or thousands of window sensor batteries in a large building on a regular basis.
The promise of wireless sensor networks can only be fully realized when the wiring for both data communications and power
supply is eliminated.
The no-batteries movement
Besides reducing cost and maintenance requirements, doing away with batteries eliminates the waste and headaches associated
with disposing of and recycling batteries. This environmentally friendly approach also extends the reach of sensor technology
to distant and inhospitable climates and regions.
Consider, for example, a network of sensors for leak detection on a remote oil pipeline. Accommodating thousands of standard
wired sensors spread out over hundreds of miles of pipeline is financially challenging, even with the enormous environmental
risk associated with oil leaks. Alternatively, a wireless sensor network equipped with energy harvesters is fairly inexpensive
and straightforward to install. No batteries, no power lines, no network cables.
Two of the most significant requirements for widespread adoption of wireless sense and control products are ease of use and
reliability. Battery-free technology helps address these requirements for the units themselves, but the reliability of the
communications chain that interconnects the sensors is just as critical.