Zero-power wireless sensor network for smart homes

在新一代无线技术的推动下，新兴物联网（IoT）的应用渗透到我们生活的各个方面。物联网设备需要具有可扩展性、灵活性、多用途和能源自主性。物联网设备涉及监测环境中物理或化学变化的无线传感器。这些传感设备通常有一个小的处理单元，一个或多个传感器，一个电信子系统，和一个电池。这种类型的无线传感器的主要挑战之一是功耗，这增加了网络的维护成本，特别是与大量的设备。最近，我们提出了实现零功耗无线传感器的新概念，这将大大降低功耗，组件数量和成本。我们提出的方法是基于多端口结构，简化了传感系统，消除了数字化仪，处理器和RF子系统，并集成到调制器和RF系统的传感器直接。 为了使生活舒适，减少家庭账单，减少家庭的碳足迹，需要大量的传感器来获取建筑物每个角落的准确信息，并进行分析，并立即做出反应。在当今的技术下，这些传感器必须通过电缆或电池连接到电源。因此，包括安装和维护在内的传感器网络的总成本将是巨大的。该项目的目标是将该技术应用于智能建筑，并开发商业上可行的产品。该技术有可能在阿尔伯塔省创造许多高薪高科技工作岗位。这一点至关重要，因为阿尔伯塔省试图使其经济多样化，以便在石油价格波动的情况下保持强劲。

Driven by a new generation of wireless technology, the applications of the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) pervade all aspect of our lives. IoT devices are required to be scalable, flexible, multi-purpose, and energy autonomous.IoT devices involve wireless sensors that monitor physical or chemical changes in the environment. These sensing devices usually have a small processing unit, one or more sensors, a telecommunication subsystem, and a battery.One of the main challenges of this type of wireless sensor is power consumption, which increases the maintenance costs of networks, especially with a large number of devices. Recently, we proposed new concepts for implementing zero-power wireless sensors, which will dramatically reduce power, component count, and cost. Our proposed method is based on multi-port structures that simplify the sensing system by eliminating the digitizer, processor, and the RF subsystem and integrating the sensor directly into the modulator and RF system. In order to make living comfortable, reduce home bills, and reduce the home's carbon footprint, a large number of sensors are required to obtain accurate information about every corner of the building, analyze them, and respond immediately. With today's technologies, such sensors must be connected to power sources, either by cabling or batteries. Therefore, the overall cost of a sensor network including its installation and maintenance will be huge. The objective of the proposed program is to apply this technology to smart buildings and to develop commercially viable products.The proposed technology has the potential to create many high-paid, high-tech jobs in the province of Alberta. This is critical as the province of Alberta attempts to diversify its economy so that it remains robust through fluctuations in the price of oil.