When it comes to miniaturizing hardware, one of the most important problems engineers face is how to provide power to the device. This is especially critical under the parameters of the so-called Internet of Things, with computers and microcontrollers forced to operate for months or years without user intervention. That's how we arrive at WISP, a prototype that has the ability to obtain energy from radio waves.
Wireless Energy and WISP
Wireless energy. Dream of an admired Serbian inventor, modern achievement among various mobile devices, and why not, possible solution to the dilemma that challenges hardware designed for the Internet of Things.
In my personal opinion, my view on the Internet of Things has not changed: the benefits don't seem to be that great, and it's insecure by nature. But my criticism always goes to the concept in general, not to individual projects. After all, it would be very unfair to attack prototypes, and speaking of prototypes, we come across the WISP mini computer, an acronym for Wireless Identification and Sensing Platform.
How WISP Works
This system, developed by the University of Washington and Delft University of Technology, has the particularity of obtaining energy via radio waves, thanks to what is known as backscattering. WISP has been in the lab for about a decade, which has allowed it to gain specific advantages, for example, a bandwidth similar to that found in Bluetooth Low Energy. On the other side, one of WISP's biggest limitations was that it depended on a cable for programming, but its creators managed to cut that symbolic chain in recent versions, turning WISP into a completely independent device.
Sensors and Applications
The key word here is sensors. No one in their right mind would expect high performance from WISP, but its progress represents an order of magnitude compared to similar systems. In essence, anything that uses a sensor could have a WISP as an ally. The first application would be to install this mini computer in concrete structures to closely monitor their integrity. The rest will depend on commercial interest.
