Innos/Perpetuum to make self-powering devices
The aim is to create communications devices that don't require a battery or external power source to operate. They will instead harvest kinetic energy from vibrations in the environment. This energy will then be converted to electricity by microgenerators to power sensors, microprocessors and transmitters.
Perpetuum has already developed a device that generates electricity in this way. Smaller than a matchbox, the device comprises a small electro mechanical system consisting of magnets on a vibrating beam.
These magnets move past a coil, generating power of up to four milliwatts – enough to power a sensor, microprocessor and radio link.
"The next crucial step in the development of this device is to considerably reduce its size and cost by embedding it in silicon," said Perpetuum chief executive officer Roy Freeland. Some progress has already been made here.
Working together, Perpetuum and Innos have pioneered a silicon MEMS microgenerator – 5mm x 5mm x 1.5mm – that is capable of producing a few hundred microwatts under suitable conditions.
"The power achieved by the new device can drive sensors, small microprocessors and RF transmitters, producing a completely self-powered system," adds Freeland. Innos CEO Andrew Monk said that silicon MEMS microgenerators would have many applications.
"Imagine a heart pace maker that uses the patients own body energy to power it, eliminating the need for a battery and the associated operations to replace them. This breakthrough has truly revolutionary possibilities for industry." Other applications could include machinery monitors and sensor systems for testing moving parts.