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New invention harvests ambient Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals to power small devices
Wasted radio signals can be converted into electricity using a new kind of antenna rooted in how electrons behave at a quantum level.
Researchers have created a highly sensitive "rectenna," or rectifying antenna, a component that exploits quirks of quantum physics to efficiently convert electromagnetic energy into direct current (DC) electricity. In a study published July 24 in the journal Nature Electronics, the scientists suggested this technology could be scaled up to power Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors using a small proportion of the excess radiofrequency (RF) signals they use to communicate with one another. Rectennas receive electromagnetic waves as found in radiofrequency (RF) signals like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, or different wavelengths of light, and capture them as alternating current (AC) electricity via the antenna.
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