SBIR Phase I: Vibration Energy Harvesting-Based Sensor System

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将是使用新的能源收集技术，使不断扩大的可穿戴设备市场受益，并改善使用假肢和矫形器的患者的生活。新的集成电路技术使从物理上小得多的振动收割机收集振动能量成为可能。这些较小的收割机支持多种应用。例如，可以延长可穿戴设备的电池寿命，以跟踪心率和步行步数。此外，基于织物的振动能量收集应用可以在军事和电力通信设备的第一响应器制服中实现。同样，对于商业市场，用于数字健康应用的服装集成传感器可以通过振动采集来供电。最后，将首先开发集成在假肢或矫形术中的振动采集系统的市场，以提高患者的生活质量。矫形外科的传感器系统可以检测患有糖尿病神经病变的患者的医疗并发症。这些新的能量采集电路还可能为集成到假肢中的传感器供电，这些传感器可以识别结构和机械问题。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目开发了一种振动能量接口电路，该电路使用新型互补金属氧化物半导体(CMOS)设计技术，允许从创纪录的低电压和低电流进行冷启动。这些CMOS设计技术仅使用一个振动采集器输入，即可为大负载(如100µF电容器)充电，而无需使用变压器或肖特基二极管。降低振动采集接口电路的最低启动电压是近十年来集成电路设计中电路研究的一个重要领域。为该SBIR第一阶段项目建议的创新使用了带有大型片外100微F电容器的经典Cockcroft-Walton电荷泵。电荷泵的整流是在CMOS中设计的，允许基于泄漏的信号形成并从冷启动切换电荷泵的整流。在这个项目中，将继续研究集成电路技术和解决方案，以降低振动采集器电路接口中的最低启动电压。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to use novel energy harvesting techniques to benefit the expanding wearables market and improve the lives of patients who use prosthetics and orthotics. New integrated circuit technology enables vibration energy harvesting from a physically much smaller vibration harvester. These smaller harvesters enable multiple applications. For example, battery life in wearables to track heart rate and steps walked could be extended. Also, fabric-based vibration energy harvesting applications could be realized in military and first responder uniforms to power communication devices. Similarly, for commercial markets clothing-integrated sensors for digital health applications could be powered by vibration harvesting. Finally, first markets will be explored for vibration harvesting systems integrated in prosthetics or orthotics to improve the quality of life for patients. A sensor system in orthotics could detect medical complications in patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy. These new energy harvesting circuits could potentially also power sensors integrated into prosthetics that could identify structural and mechanical problems.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project develops a vibration energy interface circuit that allows cold start-up from record low voltages and low currents using novel CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) design techniques. These CMOS design techniques use only one vibration harvester input to charge large loads such as 100µF capacitors without the use of a transformer or Schottky diodes. Lowering the minimum start-up voltage in a vibration harvesting interface circuit has been a significant area of circuit research in integrated circuit design over the last decade. The innovation proposed for this SBIR Phase I project uses a classic Cockcroft-Walton charge pump with large off-chip 100µF capacitors. The charge pump's rectification is designed in CMOS to allow leakage-based signals to form and switch the charge pump's rectification from cold start-up. In this project there will be continued research into integrated circuit techniques and solutions to lower the minimum start-up voltage in a circuit interface to a vibration harvester.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.