A Bluetooth device without a battery? Is it really possible?
Yes, it is now with the iFind Tag, our patent pending implementation of Energy Harvesting circuits and Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy (BLE).
Basically, ambient electromagnetic sources such as Wi-Fi transmitters, cell-phone antennas, and TV masts can be converted into enough electrical currents and stored in a power bank in iFind, which simulates a battery that continually supports a BLE radio.
While most laptops last a few hours and smart phones last one or two days, Bluetooth devices such as a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard can last for months on a single AA battery. The new technology BLE, also known as Bluetooth Smart, consumes only 1% – 50% (depending on the use) of classic Bluetooth. Therefore, properly implemented BLE devices can last three to four months on a coin battery. After that time, the battery must be changed. It is quite annoying to change batteries, especially tiny ones.
So is the BATTERY really necessary for BLE? Hmm, let us change the way we think. How about use existing energy – residual electromagnetic energy – instead of generating it? The technique is called “Wireless Charging and Energy Harvesting”, which has years of research devoted to it but few real-world applications. The R&D team at WeTag has researched Energy Harvesting techniques for more than four years, with four patents pending. Being the world’s first battery-free BLE device ever, iFind is able to perform at a 200 feet detection range, a loud alarm, and a comprehensive list of functionality such as reserve search, Rope, and UHelp.
