The increasing usage of sensing and electrical devices for IoT applications demands higher energy efficiencies for the sensing networks. Self-supplied sensors that harvest ambient energy become a possibility for reducing operational costs for regular battery replacements. At the The University of Waterloo Energy Harvesting Lab, we develop MEMS-based smart materials solutions for harvesting from wasted vibrations energy to power various kinds of sensors such as those used for electric current measurements for the smart grids.
A MEMS module energy harvester
>Energy harvesting from an electric wire using piezo materials