# Sucking energy from the electromagnetic spectrum



## twilyth (Jul 18, 2011)

Imagine if you will, a world where small electronic devices can pull power out of thin air - using only the electromagnetic radiation that passes through us every day.

One group of researchers seem to have developed something that does exactly that.  And the antenna they use is printed on an inkjet printer using a special ink.









> What’s the News: With all of the electronics cluttering our daily lives, the air is abuzz with ambient electromagnetic energy from sources like cell phone networks, radio and television transmitters, and satellite communications systems. Now, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have devised a simple, cheap way to harness that wasted energy: capturing it with inkjet-printed antennas and storing it in batteries.
> 
> How the Heck:
> 
> ...


----------



## W1zzard (Jul 18, 2011)

"And by combining energy-scavenging technology with super-capacitors and cycled operation, the Georgia Tech team expects to power devices requiring above 50 milliwatts.  In this approach, energy builds up in a battery-like supercapacitor and is utilized when the required power level is reached."

so what they are saying is that if things go well they will be able to save up enough power to power a 50 mW device for a short time, power it off again, then wait again until enough power is available? anyone see a number for how much power they were generating over extended periods of time?


----------



## twilyth (Jul 18, 2011)

No, not in the article.  I'm sure there's more info though - or will be soon.

You don't need continuous power for a lot of devices - sensors, dataloggers.  Something that only turns on for 20ms every second can still be very useful.


----------



## W1zzard (Jul 18, 2011)

found it

Scavenging experiments utilizing TV bands have already yielded power amounting to *hundreds of microwatts*, and multi-band systems are expected to generate one milliwatt or more.

100 uW = 0.0001 W


----------



## Fourstaff (Jul 18, 2011)

Finally, free electricity! Just like how Tesla envisioned a hundred years ago. /sarcasm

It might be very useful for small stuff, dataloggers in the middle of nowhere etc, but I think other than these "novel" uses it will be nothing more than fun and games.


----------



## RejZoR (Jul 18, 2011)

I see this as useful for wrist watches. If this receiver part can be small enough to be fit in a wrist watch, you'd never ever have to worry about battery. I don't think quartz clock mechanism requires 50 miliwatts. I think it uses far less. This will be similar to mechanically powered quartz wrist watches that require movement to charge the battery/capacitor. Where with this one you'd not be bound to movement. Pretty cool. I'm sure Seiko or Citizen will pick this stuff quickly...


----------



## Fourstaff (Jul 18, 2011)

RejZoR said:


> I see this as useful for wrist watches. If this receiver part can be small enough to be fit in a wrist watch, you'd never ever have to worry about battery. I don't think quartz clock mechanism requires 50 miliwatts. I think it uses far less. This will be similar to mechanically powered quartz wrist watches that require movement to charge the battery/capacitor. Where with this one you'd not be bound to movement. Pretty cool. I'm sure Seiko or Citizen will pick this stuff quickly...



Citizen have their Ecodrives which are basically solar powered, everyone has kinetic systems etcetc, unless this thing matures fast and requires much less surface area I don't see them adopting it. More likely on wall clocks.


----------



## W1zzard (Jul 18, 2011)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_(power)#milliwatt_.2810.E2.88.923_watt.29


----------



## RejZoR (Jul 18, 2011)

Well you still need light and movement for these two. Which makes it problematic if you have more than 1 wrist watch and you change them now and then (depending on the dress you have, for example). I know automatic movement watches have problems because of this if they are not worn for 48 hours as their reserve spring charge runs out and that's not good.
Where in this case, it will charge itself regardless of where it is. On your wrist, in a closet, on a desk, even for weeks in each location, it doesn't matter. For the solar powered you can't place it in the closet or drawer, for movement charged you can't let them sit still for long. Plus the quartz motor doesn't require much power to operate. That's why i think it's a good idea for such application.

Other application would be TPMS (Tire Pressure Measurment System) systems in car tires where a sensor requires power but because of the spinning nature of the wheel you can't make a wired connection. Battery also doesn't last for long enough and there is not enough space to make a kinetic method of charging. Though it probably needs a bit more power than quartz clock motor...


----------



## Fourstaff (Jul 18, 2011)

RejZoR said:


> Well you still need light and movement for these two.



Kinetic has about 48hr reserve, so that is pretty shite. But that said, very few people wear mechanical watches anymore, and most of them are expensive bling ones. However, solar powered watches have reserves up to probably a month or more, and living them outside your cupboard is enough to keep them running. Still not convinced about their widespread adoption.


----------



## Steevo (Jul 18, 2011)

So if they made one that was 10 layers thick instead and was more efficient, but they are already working on teslas idea. They had a TV powered from 6 feet or so wirelessly and it was safe for the speaker to stand between the emitter and TV and it didn't mess with his wireless headset either.


----------



## D4S4 (Jul 18, 2011)

so, they could incorporate these antennas into fabric and we'd get usb charging t-shirts eventually.


----------



## mrw1986 (Jul 18, 2011)

Fourstaff said:


> Kinetic has about 48hr reserve, so that is pretty shite. But that said, very few people wear mechanical watches anymore, and most of them are expensive bling ones. However, solar powered watches have reserves up to probably a month or more, and living them outside your cupboard is enough to keep them running. Still not convinced about their widespread adoption.



I have a Seiko SKA366 which has an at-rest period of 4 years - meaning it can store enough charge to run for 4 years without movement.

I haven't worn that watch for over 6 months now and it's still going strong. Also, if you're wondering there is no auxiliary battery powering it.


----------



## razaron (Jul 18, 2011)

If this possibly became (a lot) more efficient and widespread it would cause interference in EM waves that we're actually using (radio etc).
However it would be comical for a super version of the EM absorber to be used for signal/sensor jamming.


----------



## RejZoR (Jul 18, 2011)

Fourstaff said:


> Kinetic has about 48hr reserve, so that is pretty shite. But that said, very few people wear mechanical watches anymore, and most of them are expensive bling ones. However, solar powered watches have reserves up to probably a month or more, and living them outside your cupboard is enough to keep them running. Still not convinced about their widespread adoption.



Not true. Real gearheads use mechanical watches because fully mechanic timepiece has "soul" and craftmanship that cheap anyone can make it quartz watches just don't have (even though the cheaper Automatics are assembled entirely by machines). And you don't have to dig in deep into your wallet to own one. Just look at japanese models like Seiko 5. They are fully mechanical and suprisingly accurate while still stylish and far from cheap plastic ones. Crystal glass, all stainless steel with automatic movement (self winding mechanical) and it'll cost you around 100 EUR, depending on where you buy it. Considering such watches can last even 20 years quite easily it's a bargain. And they tick beautifully. But still, they only have 48 hours spring reserve and when it runs out it runs out. You have to either own just one and wear it all the time or you need to buy winding device which occasionally winds the clock for you even though you're not wearing it. It's a trade off.

The reason i was pointing watches out is because they don't require much power to run and if they can get energy out of thin air, that sort of makes sense. It's just a question how long a quartz engine can run. Anyone has a very very really old quartz watch? And i don't consider 5 years to be much...


----------



## TheoneandonlyMrK (Jul 18, 2011)

This isnt even new tech, wireless power transmission has been, being used for a while now, only the printed arial is actually new and im sure even that isnt that new


----------



## Fourstaff (Jul 18, 2011)

RejZoR said:


> Not true. Real gearheads use mechanical watches because fully mechanic timepiece has "soul" and craftmanship that cheap anyone can make it quartz watches just don't have ...
> 
> ... It's just a question how long a quartz engine can run. Anyone has a very very really old quartz watch? And i don't consider 5 years to be much...



I am using a Seiko 7S36 movement watch (powering Seiko 5 etc.), the only soul it has showed me is its inaccuracy and its temperament. I still wear it (even to sleep), because its a habit. I would be very happy if someone offer me a mechanical watch with tourbillion and a repeater for free though. 

Quartz watches run for practically forever.


----------



## DigitalUK (Jul 18, 2011)

this sort of tech was shown possible afew years ago, you are never going to have free electric from big business. the only way you will see free electric is if we are lucky enough one day to have some guy tinkering in shed and accidently discovers a way to make electric and releases it on the web, after which every energy company will sue him for loss of profit, in the same way you will never see cures for cancer and aids (why sell 1 tablet when you could sell the same guy 25 tablets a day for life), rant over.


----------



## W1zzard (Jul 18, 2011)

RejZoR said:


> Crystal glass, all stainless steel with automatic movement



just like my iphone clock, but i can't do lines off your watch


----------



## streetfighter 2 (Jul 18, 2011)

You can steal lots of power out of the air if you live near high tension power lines.  


W1zzard said:


> just like my iphone clock, but i can't do lines off your watch


I admire your lack of class.


----------



## D4S4 (Jul 18, 2011)

W1zzard said:


> just like my iphone clock, but i can't do lines off your watch





or, watch porn


----------



## BazookaJoe (Jul 18, 2011)

I think if we rub some pixie dust on this, then dip it in rocking-horse s#!t, and finally glaze it in powdered unicorn horn & snake oil, it MIGHT just become powerful enough to be useful.


----------



## BazookaJoe (Jul 18, 2011)

DigitalUK said:


> why sell 1 tablet when you could sell the same guy 25 tablets a day for life



Yep - Couldn't agree more...

   ... but that's the world we live in.


----------



## LAN_deRf_HA (Jul 18, 2011)

You know you could probably make your own silver nano particle ink and beat them to the punch. I mean really all you're doing to dicking around in photoshop with shapes that feel right given a rudimentary knowledge of antenna design. Then printing it, testing it, then on to the next one. You could go through 50+ shapes a day if you so desired. They even show you a few of their designs so you have a starting point.


----------



## scaminatrix (Jul 18, 2011)

Sounds like the quasi-crystal all over again...


----------



## Frick (Jul 18, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> Sounds like the quasi-crystal all over again...



What?


----------



## scaminatrix (Jul 18, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvSALm7Ps2k

Take it with a pinch of bullsh*t...

There's some wiki on it, but I find this video... humouring.


----------



## Frick (Jul 18, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvSALm7Ps2k
> 
> Take it with a pinch of bullsh*t...
> 
> There's some wiki on it, but I find this video... humouring.



Ah that stuff. Michael Crichton wrote a novel similiar to that. And it's nothing like this.


----------



## scaminatrix (Jul 18, 2011)

I just had a quick skim of the video again - it's apparently either the quasi-crystal or the meta-material that is able to "run off the ambient electromagnetic energy that permeates throughout space and time" yada yada (6:30)


----------



## Frick (Jul 18, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> I just had a quick skim of the video again - it's apparently either the quasi-crystal or the meta-material that is able to "run off the ambient electromagnetic energy that permeates throughout space and time" yada yada (6:30)



And now that theory is being tested obviously, but not by weird ufologists but proper scientists. And mr AlienScientist talks about tons of stuff that is being researched and .. I just don't understand your point.


----------



## scaminatrix (Jul 18, 2011)

My point is; it's not going to make a difference within my lifetime, so why care?

I don't exactly expect anyone to understand my point, and besides, arguing my opinion is silly anyway; it's only an opinion at the end of the day


----------



## RejZoR (Jul 19, 2011)

Fourstaff said:


> I am using a Seiko 7S36 movement watch (powering Seiko 5 etc.), the only soul it has showed me is its inaccuracy and its temperament. I still wear it (even to sleep), because its a habit. I would be very happy if someone offer me a mechanical watch with tourbillion and a repeater for free though.
> 
> Quartz watches run for practically forever.



Seiko 5's are mostly powered by 7S26 movement. All mechanical watches are "inaccurate" because there is no way to achieve precision of quartz. But some most expensive models do come quite close to that. And despite the fact my also goes slightly too fast, it's very consistent. I sync it with atomic clock every once in a while and i love it. Plus, it's better if it's slightly too fast since this will mean you'll attend everything too soon which is less harmfull than being too late. I wouldn't trade my Automatic for anything else.


----------



## TheoneandonlyMrK (Jul 19, 2011)

DigitalUK said:


> this sort of tech was shown possible afew years ago



about four years ago i worked as a board repair tech at an electronics company all i did all day was repaire bus mini black box recorders(to record fares/moneys) they were sealed permanently and powered by arial inductance from a close pad powered arial, exactly the same thing imho and i doubt that was its first appearance.

coincidentally most had been killed in a microwave for 45 seconds, which begs the question wtf will happen to someone getting hit by lightning in an arial T shirt (with taky Flashing Nike badge)




BazookaJoe said:


> I think if we rub some pixie dust on this, then dip it in rocking-horse s#!t, and finally glaze it in powdered unicorn horn & snake oil, it MIGHT just become powerful enough to be useful.



lmao bang on  and on the whole in this green eco high bandwidth fibre optic low power society i do not see that power being emmited forever at usefull levels

might power a flashin NIKE badge tho


----------

