The next generation of Antenna Structures Suited for Energy harvesting and signal Transmission in miniaturized chips for use in medical devices

Project Information

ASSET

Grant agreement ID: 956584

DOI

10.3030/956584

Project closed

EC signature date 15 September 2020

Start date 4 January 2021

End date 3 March 2022

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 116 698,75

Coordinated by

ONIO AS
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ASSET (The next generation of Antenna Structures Suited for Energy harvesting and signal Transmission in miniaturized chips for use in medical devices)

Reporting period: 2021-01-04 to 2022-03-03

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

ONiO is a Norwegian company bringing self-powered, battery-free solutions to the Internet of Things (IoT) market. We focus on developing innovative semiconductor products, by tailoring smart sensor and radio technology into batteryless ultra-low power solutions. Our ambition is to develop robust, wireless and intelligent sensor solutions - becoming a global supplier across IoT segments (healthcare, industrial, automotive, smart buildings, consumer, etc.).

We have developed ONiO.zero - an ultra-low power wireless MCU (microcontroller unit) that uses energy harvesting technology. This means that ONiO.zero solely operates on energy from its surroundings - radio frequency (RF), solar, thermal, kinetic energy, etc.

The ASSET project focuses on the development of antennas for our technology platform - encompassing both energy harvesting and data transmission, potentially for a wide range of sensor types. These antennas will be a transversal component of ONiO’s batteryless solutions.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The ASSET grant has enabled ONiO to recruit an Innovation Associate highly qualified within antenna design and RF energy harvesting systems. The Associate completed the core training provided by the EU program and received tailored internal and external training in scientific and technical topics relevant to the R&D work and career progression - including low power wireless communications, multiband antennas, bioinspired electronics, and machine learning.

The main results achieved in the project include a wide array of antenna datasets and new antenna designs produced with the assistance of machine learning techniques. Furthermore, several antenna prototypes have been fabricated and tested in the lab, showing solid performance as well as good agreement with simulations and predictions from the design phase. Finally, RF energy harvesters were designed, tested and evaluated. These were embedded in the antennas to reduce the losses and improve the energy harvesting efficiency. These results will be described in two scientific articles (one submitted; one in preparation). Other means of dissemination included two articles published in ONiO’s website and shared across social media platforms.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The new antenna designs and know-how resulting from this project constitute a valuable asset for the expansion of ONiO’s technology platform. These antennas will be further developed and implemented in sensors/products, and their performance tested and tailored towards different application areas.

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