Internet of Things for Architects

Energy harvesting

Energy harvesting is not a new concept, but is an important concept for IoT. Essentially, any system that represents a change in state (for example, hot to cold, radio signals, light) can convert its form of energy into electrical energy. Some devices use this as their sole form of energy, while others are hybrid systems that use harvesting to augment or extend the life of a battery. In turn, energy harvested can be stored and used (sparingly) to power low-energy devices such as sensors in IoT. Systems must be efficient in capturing energy and storing power. Therefore, advanced power management is needed. For example, if an energy harvesting system uses a piezoelectric mechanical harvesting technique embedded in a sidewalk, ...