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| (Courtesy University of Washington) |
Researchers at the University of Washington say they have
found a way to harness the energy in radio frequency signals in the air to
power devices that also use that energy to communicate among themselves. The
ARRL
Letter reports that the UW team
has developed devices that "form a network out of thin air," relying
for power on what the group terms "ambient backscatter," allowing
them to "repurpose wireless signals that are already around us into both a
source of power and a communication medium." The group is looking to
develop the technology for use in "wearable computing, smart homes and
self-sustaining sensor networks." More information, including a video, may
be found at <http://abc.cs.washington.edu/>.
