Oppo has recently published a study titled ‘Zero-Power Communication,’ which aims for a battery-free future. According to research, devices can charge using Bluetooth, WiFi, and RF signals.
Simply put, devices that draw power from these sources will not require a battery. Such devices will be low-maintenance and will rarely need to be charged.
Oppo Zero-Power Communication: What Is It?
Oppo’s Zero-Power Communication concept is primarily applicable to IoT devices such as smartwatches, medical sensors, and other low-power equipment.
To accomplish this, the company intends to use RF harvesting, backscattering, and low-power computing, which is not a novel idea.
“Zero-Power devices can harvest ambient radio signals broadcast from sources such as TV towers, FM radio towers, cellular base stations, and WiFi access points (APs) as their source of power,” according to the study.
One of the most recent Samsung smart TVs, for example, has a remote that charges itself via 2.4GHz WiFi. Oppo, on the other hand, claims to have tested the technology and created applications for heavy industries, transportation, and smart home setups.
Location trackers are one of the most remarkable applications highlighted in the Oppo Zero-Power Communication paper. AirTag trackers already have a one-year battery life before the cell needs to be replaced.
However, the zero-power concept could pave the way for trackers that do not require charging. This could also translate to more robust trackers.
In addition, the company says it will propose this research project to 3GPP to standardize Zero-Power Communication.
Over time, the tech industry has become more environmentally conscious. In the last two years, we’ve had chargers removed from phone boxes to create smaller packaging and reduce waste chargers. Companies are also reducing their use of plastic in phone booths.
