A new, battery-free sensor can detect water leaks in buildings at a fraction of the cost of existing systems.
The tiny device, developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo, uses nanotechnology to power itself and send an alert to smartphones when exposed to moisture.
By eliminating a battery and related circuitry, researchers estimate their sensor could be commercially produced for $1 each, about a tenth of the cost of current leak detection devices on the market.
Researchers at Waterloo Engineering have developed a tiny, battery-free, self-powering sensor that could dramatically reduce the cost of protecting buildings from damaging water leaks.
The new device, housed in a box just three centimetres square, is the product of a collaboration between professors Norman Zhou and George Shaker.
George Shakerand his team's work using radars and AI for vital sign monitoring in cars to save children and pets from hot car deaths was featured on CNN.
