Prof. Eric Yeatman
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Professor of Microengineering, Deputy Head of Department, Imperial College London
April 7, 2015 | 12:30 to 01:30 | 540 Cory Hall
Host: John Huggins
Driven by advances in microelectronics, sensors, and radio technology, highly miniature, low cost wireless devices are proliferating rapidly in a wide range of applications. This is enabling the distribution of sensing capability throughout urban and other environments, in the paradigm often known as pervasive sensing, as well as the enhancement of previously passive artefacts with intelligence and connectivity (the “Internet of Things”). These technologies offer major advantages, including enhanced energy efficiency, system resilience and adaptability, and the provision of new functions and services for users. However, adoption is significantly impeded by the maintenance burden of replacing or recharging huge numbers of batteries.
Energy harvesting – the collection of otherwise unexploited energy in the local environment – is attracting increasing attention as a solution to this problem. While the power levels that can be reached are typically modest (microwatts to milliwatts), this can be sufficient for an increasing range of wireless devices. This talk will focus on micro-engineered devices for energy harvesting, particularly from motion sources such as machine vibration and human movement, and will present advances to date, fundamental limitations, applications and future trends.
www.imperial.ac.uk/people/e.yeatman
---
Interested in nominating someone to speak at the BSAC Technology Seminar? We welcome you to submit a speaker nomination here