Electronics Modernizing Agriculture Can Now Be Recharged Automatically
Outcome/Accomplishment
Researchers have developed new ways to deliver power wirelessly to buried devices—a great benefit for precision agriculture that is increasingly relying on underground sensors for information about soil and crop conditions. This innovation was developed with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (NSF IoT4Ag) Engineering Research Center (ERC), which is headquartered at the University of Pennsylvania.
Impact/Benefits
This breakthrough means buried sensors, like soil moisture monitors, can recharge themselves automatically, without messy power cords or frequent battery changes, reducing the need for human upkeep. As the technology advances to send power over greater distances, it will be possible to keep sensors running even deep below the surface, helping farmers track soil and crop conditions more easily.
Explanation/Background
Energy transfer includes a sender (transmitter) and a receiver that picks up the energy and turns it into power. The NSF IoT4Ag researchers created different types of receivers: some are tiny, chip-sized designs that use miniature magnets, while others are larger and more powerful, using rotating magnets to capture more energy. With these receivers, wireless power has been successfully sent across a distance of about 30 centimeters (roughly one foot).
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvaniawebsite
Start Year
Microelectronics and IT
Quantum, Microelectronics, Sensing, and IT
Lead Institution
Core Partners
Fact Sheet
Outcome/Accomplishment
Researchers have developed new ways to deliver power wirelessly to buried devices—a great benefit for precision agriculture that is increasingly relying on underground sensors for information about soil and crop conditions. This innovation was developed with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (NSF IoT4Ag) Engineering Research Center (ERC), which is headquartered at the University of Pennsylvania.
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvaniawebsite
Start Year
Microelectronics and IT
Quantum, Microelectronics, Sensing, and IT
Lead Institution
Core Partners
Fact Sheet
Impact/benefits
This breakthrough means buried sensors, like soil moisture monitors, can recharge themselves automatically, without messy power cords or frequent battery changes, reducing the need for human upkeep. As the technology advances to send power over greater distances, it will be possible to keep sensors running even deep below the surface, helping farmers track soil and crop conditions more easily.
Explanation/Background
Energy transfer includes a sender (transmitter) and a receiver that picks up the energy and turns it into power. The NSF IoT4Ag researchers created different types of receivers: some are tiny, chip-sized designs that use miniature magnets, while others are larger and more powerful, using rotating magnets to capture more energy. With these receivers, wireless power has been successfully sent across a distance of about 30 centimeters (roughly one foot).