A miniature breakthrough in ultra-low energy consumption
An award-winning chip capable of being powered just from surrounding energy sources, such as light, vibrations and even temperature variations, has been developed by researchers at the Public University of Navarre (NUP/UPNA). The innovation has the potential to transform our patterns of energy consumption, as it needs 50 million times less energy than conventional light bulbs. The chip is exactly the sort of innovation that the EU is anxious to encourage, in order to achieve its objective of a 20% cut in annual energy consumption by 2020 and boost Europe's research capacities. A number of policy measures designed to increase efficiency at all stages of the energy chain have been proposed. Supporting commercially viable European research is also central to the EU's environmental goals. The innovation is built around wireless sensor networks (WSN). These are networks made up of spatially distributed autonomous sensors, capable of monitoring physical or environmental conditions, such as temperature, sound and pressure. The networks consist of two essential elements: sensor nodes that are capable of detecting, and actuators that execute actions such as powering a particular device (like a light bulb). The chip works by incorporating a new kind of analogue converter, which allows it to be powered with significantly reduced collected energy from the environment. In this way, does not need batteries to work, energy autonomy is achieved. In WSNs, sensors and actuators can communicate wirelessly between themselves - and with other networks such as the internet - by means of radio waves. The work carried out by the University of Navarre researchers illustrates the impressive, and as yet relatively untapped, potential of this technology. The NUP/UPNA's research has not gone unnoticed. This innovation won the award for best paper at the International Conference on Sensing Technology (ICST), held last December in Wellington (New Zealand). The ICST is one of the leading international events dedicated to sensor technology. This is not the first time that the NUP/UPNA's work in this particular field has been awarded. The University's Communications, Signal and Microwaves group received recognition back in 2012, at the 12th Talgo Award for Technological Innovation. Since 1999, the Talgo Award has promoted the idea of motivating and optimising technologies, mainly for railway applications. On this occasion, the NUP/UPNA's award-winning project aimed to create intelligent railway networks powered by ultra-low consumption WSNs. Similar to the light bulb chip, this network was powered by the ambient energy available in the railway carriages themselves.For more information, please visit: http://www.unavarra.es/?languageId=1(opens in new window)
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