Smart microchips can start and operate automatically when the battery runs out

A group of engineers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a new microchip called BATLESS, which can continue to function even after the battery runs out of energy.

The chip is designed based on the new energy management technique, which allows it to start automatically and continue to operate in dim light without the help of any battery. The research breakthrough significantly reduced the size of the battery needed for the operation of IoT sensor nodes (Internet connected all things), making the battery a small size and cost of production 10 times cheaper.

BATLESS, a smart IC developed by a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Massimo Alioto (middle person) from the Faculty of Engineering of National University of Singapore, can start up and continue to operate. Dynamic even when the battery runs out.

Assoc. Research co-author Massimo Alioto said: "We have shown that batteries for IoT devices can be scaled down very much, because batteries do not always need to be available to maintain continuous operation. Solving this fundamental problem is a big step towards IoT sensor buttons without using batteries and will pave the way for a world with one trillion IoT devices ".

No need for batteries means IoT devices continue to operate even when the battery is exhausted by operating in two modes: minimum power and minimum power. When the battery's power is available, the chip will run in low power mode to maximize battery life.

However, when the battery is depleted, the chip will switch to minimum power mode and operate but low power consumption is only about half that of nano Watts, 1 billion times lower than the power consumption of the target smartphone. spend in a call. Electricity can be supplied by small solar cells on chips with an area of ​​about half a square millimeter or other types of energy available from the environment such as vibration or heat.

Although in the minimum power mode when the battery is not available, the speed of the microchip is still enough for many IoT applications to determine slow-changing parameters over time such as temperature, humidity, light and pressure. productivity. Among many other applications, BATLESS micro chip is very suitable for smart buildings, environmental monitoring activities, energy management and living space adjustment according to people's needs.

The BATLESS microchip is also equipped with a new power management feature, which allows it to start automatically while powered directly from a small solar cell mounted on a chip without the need for battery support. The team demonstrated that microchips operate in indoor lighting conditions of 50 lux, equivalent to light at dusk and corresponding to the power at nano-watt levels.

The team is currently exploring new solutions to build complete battery-free systems, covering the entire signal chain from sensors to wireless communications, thus expanding research on microcontrollers. control and energy management.

Scientists also aim to demonstrate that the solution to shrink batteries down to millimeters is a long-term goal to completely eliminate battery demand. This will be a big step towards realizing the vision of IoT worldwide and also making the planet greener and smarter.