Articles
Just 30 years since the launch of the digital cellular network, more than 6 billion people now have mobile phones. Yet we are on the threshold of a far bigger global shift in the use of wireless technology by being able to give any number of physical objects an online digital presence.
John Cunliffe, chief technology officer of Ericsson, predicted that by 2020 there will be 50 billion devices capable of accessing the internet, and this vision has been adopted to describe what the ‘internet of things’ will look like.
The idea of one device talking to another device has been around for years, and machine-to-machine communications typically allow computing sensors to communicate or relay information. The internet of things is not just M2M on steroids – it is about harnessing and interacting with information from real objects along with contextual data and other content. While we will certainly see most internet traffic generated by ‘things’ rather than by human-operated computers and phones in the future, it is important to look at how this will work and whether we can create long-term value.
There are many challenges to overcome before we can deliver an effective and valuable internet of things, from managing multiple types of networks, devices and cloud services to sorting out privacy and control, but how to power 50 billion devices is one of the biggest.
The history of the mobile phone can be graphically documented by advances in battery technology, starting with suitcase-sized car phones. With a 10-fold increase in connected devices where size and environmental impact will be very important, current battery technology is impractical and unsustainable.
Instead, battery-free, ultra-low power wireless sensor technology is being developed that will give connectivity and intelligence to dumb objects, from medical implants to home energy monitoring devices.
Optimised electronic design can be combined with energy harvesting techniques such as making use of radio waves, vibration, movement, heat and light and biological sources. The technical challenges also involve understanding the fundamental principles of electromagnetics and radio spectrum, propagation modelling and antenna design, along with packaging, sensor integration and advanced system design.
Many of these new sensors will connect to smartphones and tablets using emerging technologies such as ultra-low power Bluetooth, Zigbee or Near Field Communications.
Potential uses are exciting. Work has started on embedding smart sensors in orthopaedic implants that will allow doctors to monitor performance with fewer hospital visits, while ‘mal-union’ events could be detected earlier. Miniature, robust battery-free sensors are already being used for measuring real-time parameters in highly-stressed components deep within Formula One engines. This allows engineers to measure and fine-tune performance and improve reliability without adding much weight.
As well as using innovative techniques to optimise the circuit designs, new ultra-low power wireless protocols and patent-pending techniques make it possible to overcome the Faraday cage effect and transmit data through steel walls.
Active supermarket labels can be kept up-to-date with real-time data for price matching or special offers. And the same technology can be used for displaying the balance on Oyster-type pre-pay cards, controlling home energy systems or street lights, and creating intelligent security or postal tags.
Powering dumb objects to give them intelligence and communications by harnessing and storing small amounts of energy is the only way to make the internet of things work effectively. The vision of 50 billion connected devices to improve our lives seamlessly will only work if we aren’t worried about changing the batteries.
