Wearable sensing devices require a measure of low-level energy. This power traditionally comes from batteries. Researchers at University of Osaka in Japan, have invented a battery-free sensing system, that uses the energy in our bodies instead. Or to be precise, the body warmth this energy generates.
Sensing Using Wireless Electro Eencephalography (EEG)
The Osaka method takes its power from the temperature difference between a human body, and the ambient air surrounding it. Their low-power device operates successfully, and could set a new benchmark for monitoring our health.
This achievement comes at a time when wireless systems are becoming miniaturized. Some day their batteries could dwarf the rest of their components. This makes a battery-free sensing system an option to consider, in the search for sustainable low-power alternatives.
The Osaka team has successfully demonstrated their invention outdoors on a hot summer’s day. But first, they had to re-engineer the application, so they no longer needed an independent power source.
This suggests their novel application has only limited use at this stage. None the less, this is still a significant step forward, to reducing the carbon footprint of the energy systems that challenge our sustainability.
How Battery-Free Electro Encephalography Matters
An electro encephalogram (EEG) measures electrical energy in the brain, using small metal electrodes that attach to the scalp. It helps detect conditions such as epilepsy, seizures, sleep disorders, and tumors, by comparing brain waves against a standard.
Monitoring is often ongoing for long periods. A lack of dependable energy can limit its use in remote areas and under emergency conditions. This is where battery-free sensing could be critical.
“Our long-term goal is to create sensing systems that can operate indefinitely without maintenance,” explains lead author Daisuke Kanemoto. “A wireless EEG transmission system without any external power source, is an important step toward practical, maintenance-free sensing technologies.”
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