Estimates suggest there will be around 5bn cellular Internet of Things (IoT) devices by 2030 – a number that could ultimately stretch to 200bn. But neither disposable nor mains rechargeable batteries will be convenient or sustainable power options.
‘We expect sensors to be distributed everywhere, with 70% in indoor settings,’ says Marina Freitag, a Professor of energy at Newcastle University, UK. ‘This network is supposed to make our life more sustainable and energy efficient, but we need to power them somehow,’ she adds.
