Bluetooth sticker sensor tag operates battery-free
The new investors have joined Norwest Venture Partners, 83North, Grove Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, and M Ventures to raise an additional $30 million of funding. This follows its demonstration of the first-ever sticker-sized Bluetooth sensor tag incorporating an ARM processor powered solely by scavenging energy from ambient radio frequencies.
A Wiliot chip glued to a simple antenna printed on plastic or paper can authenticate the proximity of a product by transmitting an encrypted serial number along with weight and temperature data from a device the size of a postage stamp. Eliminating most of the components associated with traditional Bluetooth, these tags lower sale and maintenance costs to previously unachievable levels. The tags use Wiliot’s breakthrough in nanowatt computing to communicate with any device enabled by Bluetooth Low Energy, such as smartphones, Wi-Fi access points and Internet of Things (IoT) devices that can connect to digital displays, Wi-Fi and LTE cellular networks.
“We believe that disposable electronics based on battery-free, low-cost systems are the foundation for future IoT systems. We are on the edge of dramatically changing the way products are made, how they are distributed, where and when they are sold, and how they are used and recycled,” said Tal Tamir, Wiliot CEO and co-founder.
“Re-cycling the radiation around us to power sticker-size sensors can enable new ways for consumers to interact with products that were previously not feasible. Products can share when they are picked up, their temperature, or when they need to be replenished. Without batteries or other high-cost components, tags have unlimited power and lifespan, so can be embedded inside of products that were previously unconnected to the Internet of Things.”
Real-life applications for Wiliot tags include real-time item tracking through a manufacturing process, to the warehouse and from the store to the end consumer, all while gathering critical information. At the retail level, the Wiliot transponder can overcome the limits of human-readable product information on tags or packaging, unlocking interactive engagement through the consumer’s own phone or displays. At home, consumers can communicate with their products to get instructions and reminders of when and how to use them, and Wiliot-enabled containers can automatically reorder themselves when empty. Valuable products can be tracked in case they are lost or stolen without having to add a dongle with limited battery life.
Wiliot – www.wiliot.com
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