Wiliot, the semiconductor pioneer and innovator, has introduced a first-ever sticker-sized Bluetooth sensor tag, which incorporates an ARM processor and uses ambient radio frequencies to power itself. The chip has the size of a postage stamp and it can communicate via Bluetooth. In addition, the chip can also transmit weight and temperature data. The battery-free chip marks a great advancement in technology as it eliminates most of the complicated components associated with traditional Bluetooth chip. The simpler design also reduces the maintenance and sale costs to levels that were previously unimaginable.
The radio waves, in electromagnetic (EM) form, that enable wireless communications are all around us. The potential to harvest energy is unlimited because we are constantly surrounded by waves from broadcast AM and FM radio, signals transmitted by wireless devices, cellular base stations, and short-distance wireless local area networks (WLANs).
Wiliot, whose R&D department is based in Israel, has raised $30 million in their series B round for a total of $50 million in funding with the likes of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Investment Arm, Samsung Venture Investment Corp. and Avery Dennison. In the first round, Wiliot had already raised funding from Norwest Venture Partners, 83North, Grove Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, and M Ventures. The financial support from the big players in the industry shows the potential and promise of this technology.
Wiliot has a vision, to create a new class of communication devices that would power themselves, be so inexpensive that they could be disposable and produced in quantities that would eventually grow, not to billions, but to trillions.
Wiliot’s nanowatt computing technology is used to communicate with any Bluetooth Low Energy enabled devices, including smartphones, Wi-Fi access points and Internet of Things (IoT) devices that can connect to digital displays, Wi-Fi and LTE cellular networks. With the battery-free chip, Wiliot plans to bring cloud connectivity to the things that were previously not yet part of the Internet of Things, such as packaging and products like clothing to which you couldn’t attach a radio. Check out some of the use cases of the battery-free chip below:
Use Cases of Battery-Free Bluetooth Chip
At home, the consumers can get product information, reminders and instructions of when and how to use them. Wiliot-enabled containers can automatically reorder themselves when empty. The Bluetooth communication technology can also help with product finding as well as wardrobe management and recommendation based on usage history. Clothing with Wiliot tags can communicate with washing machines to ensure that the right settings are used so that your whites never turn pink.
At the retail level, the Wiliot transponder can trigger interactive media on consumer’s phones or video displays to provide product information from tags or packaging that is sometimes difficult to read. The integrated weight and temperature sensors can also help with cold chain and delivery verification.
During the manufacturing process, the Bluetooth tags can be embedded in consumer goods for tracking the product from warehouse to the store to the end consumer in real time. In addition, valuable products can be tracked in case they are lost or stolen without worrying about limited battery life.
What is next?
In 2019, Wiliot engineers plan to improve the range and coverage of the product by making the energy harvester more sensitive to the weaker signals so that the chip can work in more places and power different applications. In addition, as Bluetooth signals are easily picked up by anyone with a phone, the engineers will also focus on security and privacy of this technology to keep the identity and sensor data confidential. Towards the end of 2019, Wiliot will also work on streamlining the manufacturing of the chip so that it is ready for mass production. Wiliot technology will be available for sampling via the Early Advantage Program in the second half of 2019, and it is slated to be opened to everybody else later in 2020.
Source: Wiliot
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