If it's not a robot or machine tool, chances are that your Internet of Things project is (or incorporates) a remote sensor node. It will likely use miniaturized batteries to power itself. The goal of energy harvesting in IoT projects, ideally, is to eliminate batteries altogether. More likely, the energy source would be called upon to supplement the battery's output; to make it last longer in use. Thus, developments in energy harvesting have two focal points: On one hand, we're looking at the energy conversion itself (not a mature technology, but it's not leaving us anytime soon). On the other hand, we're looking at the ultra-low-power sensor node components, whose nano-amp power consumption presents a minimal tax on battery life.
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