Compact vibration harvester power supply with highest efficiency opens door to "fix-and-forget" sensor nodes
OMRON and Holst Centre/imec have unveiled a prototype of an extremely compact vibrational energy harvesting DC power supply with worlds' highest efficiency. The prototype will be demonstrated at the TECHNO-FRONTIER2014 exhibition in Tokyo from July 23rd till July 25th. Combining OMRON's electret energy harvester with a Holst Centre/imec power management IC, it can convert and store energy from vibrations in the µW range with high efficiency to the driving voltage of general sensors. The prototype measures just 5 x 6 cm – with potential to shrink as small as 2 x 2 cm. Its small size, light weight (15.4 gram) and user-variable output voltage are ideal for a wide-range of autonomous wireless sensor node applications in the industrial and consumer domains, particularly in inaccessible locations.
