As Faber later had to clarify, the concept of a “forever mouse” wasn’t an actual product but merely an idea. Her comment garnered so much attention that she had to confirm it wasn’t about any specific device.&nbsp;But, when seen in the right context, Faber’s words weren’t really about a mouse at all—they were about something much bigger. The widespread reaction missed the larger point she was making.Faber wasn’t simply hyping up her company with a hypothetical product. She was highlighting a paradigm-shifting movement in the tech industry—a rethinking of how we approach innovation, design, and, ultimately, technology itself.There is simply no running away from the fact that the tech industry has developed some pretty unsustainable habits over the past few decades - habits like planned obsolescence, short upgrade cycles, proprietary repair mechanisms and deliberately sub-par build qualities have contributed massively to our massive e-waste <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/batteryless-vs-better-recycling-iot-future.html">problem</a>.The sheer ridiculousness of this constant upgrade culture we see around us is all too tired a trope - it’s common knowledge at this point that we’ve allowed tech companies to bamboozle us with their scarcity-driven marketing.&nbsp;While the smartphone unequivocally represented a huge breakthrough in communication and information technology, it has now become emblematic of this economic sleight of hand that’s being perpetrated by tech giants - a carousel of perpetual consumption, where smartphones are released year after year accompanied by meticulously crafted marketing narratives designed to cloak their predecessors in a veil of inadequacy.&nbsp;These practices deplete rare earth minerals, place enormous amounts of strain on water reserves and contribute to the generation of millions of tonnes of electronic waste.&nbsp;It is <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/electronic-waste-(e-waste)#:~:text=Key%20facts,collected%20and%20recycled%20(2).">estimated</a> by the WHO that over 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced in the year 2022! Of this, only a paltry 22.3% was formally recorded to have been recycled. These are truly terrifying numbers! We are fast approaching a point where we will be compelled to change course dramatically or face some seriously dire consequences.&nbsp;We’ve created a system (yes we’re all responsible for this!) that has normalised wastefulness and apathy towards precious natural resources. Faber’s forever mouse is emblematic of a new paradigm emerging among tech leaders who understand the precarity of this situation we find ourselves in - a paradigm that prioritises durability, repairability and sustainability over relentlessly churning out low-quality products and in turn, neglecting long-term welfare for short term gains.&nbsp;<h2>The Battery Problem</h2>15 billion batteries are produced every year! That’s a crazy number! Here’s another crazy number –&nbsp; 62 million tonnes of e-waste is generated every year, making its way into landfills and our oceans.&nbsp;This is a grave threat to all life on our planet.&nbsp;Batteries were once seen as a lifeline that would take us to a greener and more sustainable future. But today, the stark reality of batteries is there for everyone to see. Modern Li-ion batteries use rare minerals that are concentrated in specific parts of the world - Lithium and Cobalt for the most part.&nbsp;Lithium mining ravages water tables and wreaks havoc on local ecosystems. Cobalt is largely found in one country - the Democratic Republic of Congo - and is mined by child miners who get paid a pittance and end up developing chronic illnesses that severely impact their futures.The basic point we’re trying to get at is this - our massive global appetite for batteries is a huge red flag in terms of sustainability. For a number of years now, there has been a growing realization that we need a viable alternative power solution. Batteries are not the green power solution that they’re made out to be.&nbsp;<h2>The Rise of Energy Harvesting</h2>This is where energy harvesting technology enters the picture. What if our everyday devices could power themselves using ambient energy from their environment? It's not science fiction—it's happening right now.Energy harvesting technology allows devices to capture and utilize energy from various sources:<ul><li>Movement and vibration (kinetic energy)</li><li>Light (solar energy)</li><li>Temperature differences (thermal energy)</li><li>Radio frequency signals (RF energy)</li></ul>This technology is particularly suited for low-power devices like computer peripherals, which is why Faber's "forever mouse" concept isn't as far-fetched as it might seem. Modern ultra-low-power microcontrollers can operate on incredibly small amounts of energy—we're talking microwatts here. By harvesting energy from the environment, these devices can operate indefinitely without ever needing a battery change.<h2>Beyond the Mouse: A New Paradigm</h2>The implications of this technology extend far beyond just computer mice. Imagine a world where all your peripherals—keyboards, headsets, remote controls, game controllers—never need battery replacement. But it's more than just convenience; it's about fundamentally changing our relationship with technology.This new paradigm is built on several key principles:<h3>1. Durability by Design</h3>Durability is one the defining principles behind this new wave of forever devices. Products that are designed to last for decades and not just 3-4 years. High-quality materials and builds that stand the test of time and don’t ask for incessant upgrades.&nbsp;Moreover, modularity is a major part of this as well - modular designs that allow for repairs and upgrades.&nbsp;<h3>2. Software-First Innovation</h3>This is all about enabling continuous improvement through updates and rolling out new features without necessitating hardware replacements.&nbsp;Which means that devices get to have extended lifespans simply as a result of optimisation and sound design.&nbsp;<h3>3. Sustainable Materials</h3>This one’s pretty much a no-brainer. Recycled and recyclable components form the crux of sustainable design which is built around responsible sourcing and minimal environmental impact.<h2>The Economic Shift</h2>Critics might argue that such durable devices would hurt companies' bottom lines. However, this view is increasingly outdated. Companies like Logitech are recognizing that sustainability isn't just good for the planet—it's good for business:Customers are willing to pay premium prices for lasting quality. Over the course of their ownership, this would imply lower warranty and support costs - not to mention the brand loyalty that companies stand to build through commitment to ethical practices. Moreover, this also opens the doors to new revenue streams from software and services,.&nbsp;<h2>Technical Innovation Meets Environmental Responsibility</h2>The technology enabling this revolution is already here. Ultra-low-power microcontrollers, like <a href="http://ONiO.zero">ONiO.zero</a>, can operate on minimal energy while providing robust processing capabilities. These cutting-edge chips represent a quantum leap in energy efficiency, starting up from less than 1μW of power and seamlessly operating on various energy harvesting sources. They maintain reliable wireless connectivity while processing complex inputs, all with minimal power consumption, making them ideal for the next generation of sustainable devices.<h2>The Path Forward</h2>The shift to batteryless peripherals won't happen overnight, but the momentum is building. Industry leaders are recognizing that the future of consumer electronics lies not in planned obsolescence, but in creating lasting value through sustainable innovation. This monumental transition demands comprehensive industry collaboration on standards alongside sustained investment in energy harvesting research. Success will also depend on effective consumer education about sustainable technology and supportive policy frameworks for sustainable manufacturing practices.<h2>A New Chapter in Tech Evolution</h2>Faber's "forever mouse" concept represents more than just a product idea—it's a symbol of where technology needs to go. As we face increasing environmental challenges, the tech industry must evolve from being part of the problem to becoming part of the solution.The future of consumer electronics isn't about churning out endless new models or forcing unnecessary upgrades. It's about creating devices that last, that improve over time, and that respect both user needs and environmental constraints.<h2>Conclusion</h2>The transition to batteryless, sustainable peripherals represents a crucial step toward a more sustainable tech industry. It challenges us to rethink not just how we power our devices, but how we approach technology consumption as a whole.As we move forward, the success of this transition will depend on continued innovation in energy harvesting technology, commitment from industry leaders, and support from consumers who understand that the best technology is that which serves both human needs and environmental sustainability.The "forever mouse" might have been just a concept, but the future it represents is very real—and it's closer than we think. We're entering an era where technology can truly last forever, powered by the world around us, designed for durability, and built with the planet in mind.

medium_onio_forever_mouse.jpg

preload_onio_forever_mouse.jpg

small_onio_forever_mouse.jpg

thumbnail_onio_forever_mouse.jpg

xsmall_onio_forever_mouse.jpg

onio_forever_mouse.jpg

"‘The forever mouse is not just an idea—it’s a commitment to a future where tech doesn’t come at the planet’s expense”

This is a quote by Hanneke Faber, the CEO of Logitech. She made this remark during an interview with Verge, on their decoder podcast. She was talking about an idea for a mouse designed to last indefinitely - a mouse that could be upgraded through software updates rather than total replacement. A product design that places durability and repairability front and centre. 

preload_onio_forever_mouse_t.jpg

small_onio_forever_mouse_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_forever_mouse_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_forever_mouse_t.jpg

onio_forever_mouse_t.jpg

Beyond Batteries: The Future of Forever Devices

Senior Content Manager

Abishek Swaminathen

And that’s why we’re paying attention to the Internet of Military Things (IoMT).<h2>A Quiet Shift in the Field</h2>IoMT isn’t about flashy drones or sci-fi weaponry. It’s about infrastructure. Layers of small, silent devices — sensors, wearables, nodes — gathering data at the edges of operational environments and quietly pushing it back to decision-makers.The goal isn’t novelty. It’s awareness — real-time information that makes missions safer, faster, and more precise.But that awareness comes at a cost: power.<h2>The Battery Tax</h2>Every device you deploy is a device you have to account for. Charge. Replace. Recharge. Keep track of. And in high-risk, high-complexity environments, battery logistics become their own shadow mission.That’s not news to anyone in defense. Entire ops structures exist just to support power.So when we talk about batteryless sensing, we’re not pitching magic. We’re asking: What happens if the smallest, least critical devices didn’t need batteries at all?<h2>What We Bring to the Table</h2>ONiO.zero isn’t a mil-spec platform. It’s not hardened for frontline combat. But it’s been designed, from silicon upward, to operate with almost no power.It cold-starts from &lt;1μW. It runs without firmware. It harvests energy from RF, light, heat, or motion. And it’s already being used in consumer and industrial applications where battery swaps simply aren’t an option.We’re not here to replace your radios. We’re here to ask: Could your most disposable, hard-to-access, or risk-sensitive sensing nodes run on their own — quietly and indefinitely?<h2>Think in Terms of Roles</h2>A drone may need batteries.A soldier’s HUD may need batteries.But a vibration sensor zip-tied under a convoy axle? That could be energy-autonomous.A node buried in snow, checking environmental drift? That could run on harvested energy.A passive contact sensor embedded in a box that might never open? Same.<h2>It’s Not About Going Batteryless Everywhere</h2>It’s about going batteryless where it makes sense.In defense, where deployment costs are high and maintenance can be risky, even small reductions in battery dependency can mean real strategic gain.Fewer site visits. Fewer logistical dependencies. Lower thermal signatures. Less risk.<h2>We're Not Pretending to Know It All</h2>We’re not writing this as experts in military doctrine. We’re writing as engineers who think in constraints. And when we look at the way military sensing is scaling, we see an obvious constraint that’s still being accepted as default: the battery.It won’t go away. But we’re building hardware that makes it less necessary.If you’re thinking about the future of sensing in defense — particularly the quiet, cheap, critical-but-not-complex parts — we’d love to show you what ONiO.zero can do.Because sometimes, the smartest thing a device can do… is need nothing at all.

medium_onio_military_things.jpg

preload_onio_military_things.jpg

small_onio_military_things.jpg

thumbnail_onio_military_things.jpg

xsmall_onio_military_things.jpg

onio_military_things.jpg

We’re not defense contractors. We don’t build missiles or radar systems. But we know what it means to design for the edge — where there’s no power socket, no second chance, and failure means a whole lot more than just inconvenience.

preload_onio_military_things_T.jpg

small_onio_military_things_T.jpg

thumbnail_onio_military_things_T.jpg

xsmall_onio_military_things_T.jpg

onio_military_things_T.jpg

The Industry of Military Things — Rethinking Power at the Edge

medium_onio_ocean_plastic.jpg

preload_onio_ocean_plastic.jpg

small_onio_ocean_plastic.jpg

thumbnail_onio_ocean_plastic.jpg

xsmall_onio_ocean_plastic.jpg

onio_ocean_plastic.jpg

Our oceans are dying - It sounds sensationalist but the grim fact of the matter is that this is literally the case - the blue seas that make up over 70% of the earth’s surface are under serious threat. In this post, we take a deep dive into this problem and explore how batteryless IoT technology could be leveraged to try and mitigate this crisis. 

preload_onio_ocean_plastic_t.jpg

small_onio_ocean_plastic_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_ocean_plastic_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_ocean_plastic_t.jpg

onio_ocean_plastic_t.jpg

Is IoT Technology Going To Help Salvage Our Ocean Crisis?

large_onio_blood_batteries.jpg

medium_onio_blood_batteries.jpg

preload_onio_blood_batteries.jpg

small_onio_blood_batteries.jpg

thumbnail_onio_blood_batteries.jpg

xsmall_onio_blood_batteries.jpg

onio_blood_batteries.jpg

Electric vehicles are selling like hot cakes at the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/23/electric-and-hybrid-car-sales-to-rise-to-new-global-record-in-2024">moment</a>. 

According to International Energy Agency, over 17 million Electric Vehicles are set to be sold in 2024.
There seems to be an unspoken consensus that battery powered vehicles are an improvement, in nearly every sense, over dirty old internal combustion engine powered vehicles. But like all things in this world, the truth here is slightly more complicated. Or maybe even a lot more complicated.

preload_onio_blood_batteries_t.jpg

small_onio_blood_batteries_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_blood_batteries_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_blood_batteries_t.jpg

onio_blood_batteries_t.jpg

Blood batteries are not the answer to our fossil fuel woes

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="True" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1.0)" data-projectid="YoacygMbD5w65BBxt6ts">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io/text-to-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs Text to Speech</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>There is no question that we have to sit back and take a nice, long hard look at the mess we’re making of the planet. The numbers are truly staggering - it is estimated that the average human being today generates about 0.74 kilograms of solid waste every day! In the developed world, this number is closer to 4.54 kilograms!For better or for worse, a strong trend of rampant consumption has taken over the wealthier sections of the world in the past century. This trend is not showing any signs of abatement as we move towards a future where there will be a lot more of us. As indices of wealth and development improve, more and more people are emerging out of poverty and adopting an urban lifestyle in the western mould. As our population continues to grow, we will see an enormous increase in the number of people moving to urban areas. Inevitably, this leads to higher rates of consumption and naturally as a consequence, more waste generation.&nbsp;Global waste production is poised to grow to over 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050. Let that sink in. If that number doesn’t send a chill down your spine, look again. To put that into context, in 2016, we generated about half of that.Policy makers have scrambled to find reasonable management solutions and containment tactics to combat this pressing issue. Left unchecked, our waste management woes could lead to some pretty grim outcomes. They represent a public emergency of the highest priority to us as a collective.<h2>Smarter Technologies</h2>In the past decade, the tech world has witnessed tremendous acceleration and innovation. Technologies like AI, ML, energy harvesting and 5G have brought about unprecedented and unimaginable levels of growth.&nbsp;The Internet of Things has enabled such a dazzling array of possibilities for us that we simply haven’t been able to keep track of. Causing massive disruption in nearly every sector, IoT technologies have enabled us to drive high levels of operational efficiency and sustainability across all spheres of human activity.When the idea of connected tech was still in its infancy, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the potential application of IoT technology towards building smarter urban environments. Smart cities were in many ways the perfect IoT application - demonstrating the key points of value that IoT technology brings and contributing directly to an increased quality of life for millions at a time.&nbsp;Today, IoT-based urban management has come a long way. Connected technologies powered by wireless sensors, IoT microcontrollers and artificial intelligence are being employed by a number of cities around the world to great effect. Smart urban management includes the use of IoT technologies across a variety of applications such as fleet management, traffic management, pollution sensing etc.&nbsp;Similarly, smart waste management systems have emerged as an IoT-enabled innovation to look out for.&nbsp;<h2>What Is Smart Waste Management?</h2>Smart waste management refers to the use of smart technologies such as IoT, artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to streamline how we manage our waste. Much like any other smart technology, smart waste management is based on the principle of using sensor-enabled intelligence to gain actionable insights into the microprocesses that go into waste collection, recycling and disposal - enabling a higher degree of accountability and sustainability,&nbsp;The underlying principle behind smart waste management is quite simple really - using connected technology - i.e wireless sensor networks - we are able to harness the power of big data to bring about order and coherence to the way we manage our waste. The core principle, as with all IoT-based applications, is that the more data we are able to gather, in real time, the more intelligently we are able to orchestrate the various micro-processes that go into building a robust and efficient system.&nbsp;<h2>Why IoT-Based Smart Waste Management?</h2>Why is it that so many bets are being placed on an IoT-based solution to our enormous waste problem?Modern human civilisation is a veritable goliath comprising billions upon billions of interconnected processes and sub-systems. These subsystems are often disjointed and poorly connected with one another - this gargantuan system that we’ve created just goes about spinning endlessly, each of its billion components seemingly just doing its own thing. There’s no one “up-there” overseeing how things are done - an enormous pile of toxic battery waste discarded in Venezuela is tangibly and surely causing effects that ripple out into all our lives - but there’s no way for us to have any say in the matter. More centralisation and control is a failed 20th century strategy that had equally destructive ramifications - the soviet union and Nazi Germany stand as stark warnings against the solution of increased centralisation and collectivisation.&nbsp;But the problem still stands - what do we do to address this sorry state of affairs - we are literally creating piles of rubbish and throwing it into the oceans. An average 5th grader knows that throwing piles and piles of toxic garbage into the ocean is a desperately stupid thing to do - but the problem is not that of knowledge. We know. But we seem to not be able to find an answer. So, if increased centralised control on a global level is not the solution, then what is?An alternative is to focus on the grassroots - find ways to optimise the tiniest micro-processes that go into each of our industrial enterprises - find ways to optimise all human activity from the ground up. This is where sensors come in - today, thanks to advances in IoT-based connected technologies - we have an arsenal of incredible tools that enable us to operate on a really granular level, collecting immense amounts of information on the tiniest of scales.&nbsp;Our population is growing at breakneck speed - as things stand, we’re on the fastrack to planetary collapse, with our oceans, rainforests and <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/our-huge-soil-problem-how-iot-help.html">soils</a> in pathetic shape - as we speak, a terrible crisis is underway namely the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-the-sixth-mass-extinction-and-what-can-we-do-about-it#:~:text=Unlike%20previous%20extinction%20events%20caused,been%20converted%20for%20food%20production.">sixth mass extinction</a> event on this planet - and possibly the first one that has nothing to do with natural disasters of one kind or the other.&nbsp;These may sound like disparate issues that are a result of various unrelated events - but they’re not - they’re all symptoms of the same disease - we have grown too big, disconnected, haphazard and avaricious as a species - our modern lives have left us frantic and isolated - cut off from the big picture - to the point where we are literally burning up the very source of our existence.&nbsp;The waste problem is not a cosmetic, superficial issue - in a way, it is emblematic of the systemic issues that we’re going to have to rectify if we want any biological life on this planet to survive. The enormous amounts of waste we generate and the hapless ineptitude with which we deal with it is demonstrative of the cataclysmic crisis that lies ahead of us - we can be in denial all we want but that’s going to come at a terrible, terrible cost.&nbsp;Smart waste management is, at its core, the best solution that we’ve been able to come up with. The best minds of our modern times have enabled us to make such rapid advances in information technology. In a lot of ways, it represents the best chance we have in this fight against impending planetary doom.&nbsp;Why, though?At the risk of oversimplifying a gigantic issue, this is why we think so - the problem, at its core, is one of disconnectedness - IoT technology, at its core, is about establishing a high degree of interconnectedness.&nbsp;Today, thanks to state-of-the-art technologies like batteryless microcontrollers, artificial intelligence, machine learning and ultra-low-power semiconductor chips, we are able to design systems that essentially function like the human nervous system - with all the sub-systems interacting with one one another and with a centralised backend. This is, in essence, how any IoT solution operates - wireless sensors act as nodes that are dispersed across a given ecosystem, collecting huge amounts of highly granular data that is then collected and fed to a backend system. Using modern analytics, we are able to glean highly pertinent insights into the inner workings of the system, which is then fed into the actuating arm to implement changes that make the system progressively more efficient and smart.&nbsp;<h2>IoT Waste Management Applications</h2>Wireless sensors and IoT microcontrollers are being deployed in a number of innovative ways towards better waste management -&nbsp;<h3>1. Smart Bins</h3>We’re just no good at sorting trash - this has to be one of the most important reasons for our massive garbage woes. In spite of massive efforts to educate us on the importance of sorting and the sheer magnitude of disastrous consequences of failing to do so, policy makers still face an uphill task in getting enough of us on board with the idea.&nbsp;Even when we sort our rubbish, there is a lot of human error in the process which presents a huge pain point at the back end of operations. A <a href="https://bine.world/">polish IoT company</a>&nbsp;has attempted to come up with an IoT-based solution to this problem - smart waste bins.&nbsp;These bins are powered by IoT-sensors and microcontrollers and they are able to ameliorate the effect of human error on the initial sorting process. They are able to offer a high-tech alternative to the old school method of processing of waste sorting and in doing so, lead to dramatically improved efficiency. Moreover, using smart rubbish bins can slash costs by up to 80% when accounted for at a city-wide level.&nbsp;<h3>2. Waste level sensors</h3>Typically, municipal bodies organise waste collection along certain predetermined routes. Garbage trucks go along certain pre-planned routes across regular intervals. This can be every day or every week, depending on the case. However, this is incredibly wasteful. Not all bins along the routes are going to be filled all the time. Some bins are going to be empty and some are going to be half filled and so on.&nbsp;This is incredibly wasteful because a lot of money is spent on fuel, labour etc. Today, many local governing bodies are implementing IoT to great effect to this end - waste level sensors are being installed in bins and dumpsters.&nbsp;These smart bins and dumpsters, equipped with waste level sensors are able to collect data on the fill levels of these bins in real-time, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective planning.&nbsp;Collection services can plan trips only when they are necessary, cutting down on unnecessary back trips to and from collection sites, landfills and central garbage processing sites. This technology also has the added benefit of increased public health - when waste levels are monitored in real time, we are able to prevent the unsavoury occurrence of overflowing public containers which create all manner of contamination and pest issues.&nbsp;<h3>3. Robotics-based Recycling</h3>Recycling plays a huge role in any effective waste management strategy - a lot of perfectly usable material ends up in landfills and oceans simply because of the logistical complexities involved.&nbsp;During the Covid pandemic, thanks in part due to the reduced availability of personnel, many recycling centres turned to AI-powered recycling robots which can identify recyclable materials with a high degree of precision. This saves recycling centres a lot of cash and cuts down their dependence on manpower. Moreover, this has the added benefit of making sure we don’t let things end up in landfills unless they absolutely need to.&nbsp;<h3>4. Smart weight sensors</h3>This one is very similar to the use-case we discussed earlier about waste level sensors. IoT-powered weight sensors are increasingly being used in garbage trucks and public garbage containers to measure the amount of waste being collected in real-time and in doing so, reduce unnecessary trips.&nbsp;Instead of measuring fill levels, these solutions employ weight sensors to achieve pretty much the same result.<h2>Advantages of Smart Waste Management</h2><div class="raw-html-embed"><ul class="ul--list">
 <li>
 1
 When we streamline the process of collecting and disposing rubbish on a city-wide or even larger scale, we end up accruing some pretty serious environmental benefits - when garbage trucks make fewer trips, it makes for a lower carbon footprint thanks to reduced emissions. This also makes for a number of knock-on benefits such as reduced traffic congestion and noise pollution.
 
 </li>
 <li>
 2
 
 When we introduce an analytics based solution to optimise the sorting process, we seriously cut down on the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and oceans. Every gram matters. 
 
 </li>
 <li>
 3
 
 Cleaner cities are a natural by-product. When we optimise the various disparate processes that go into waste collection, processing and disposal, we end up creating healthier and cleaner environments that are conducive to a more wholesome life. 
 
 </li>
 
 <li>
 4
 
 A sensor-based approach allows municipal bodies to collect some serious intelligence on the dynamics of waste production, allowing them to craft better long term waste management strategies. 
 
 </li>
 
 </ul></div><h2>Precariously placed</h2>There are a number of daunting issues that face us as a global unit - perhaps none of these issues is as emblematic of our collective failure of organisation as our ginormous trash problem - this massive problem is literally representative of how we’re making a mess of our planet.&nbsp;Make no mistake, this is not a simple problem - and solving it is not a matter of just adopting this technology or that - this is a serious and multi pronged problem that is firstly, the result of a basic lack of collective awareness on our part.&nbsp;We have simply not been able to come together strongly enough in order to manage our resources, needs and goals, as a species. If that sounds like a distant dream, or worse like utopian rubbish, it might be wise to remember that we’re still pretty new to all this. In the grand scheme of things, industrial civilization has really just been around for a tiny bit of time - that’s both the scariest and the most hopeful part about all this.&nbsp;It is scary that we have been able to grow so big in such a haphazard and destructive manner, so quickly. On the other hand, it should come as a matter of great hope that we’re already at the stage where a significant proportion of people are taking a realistic look at the precarious nature of our ecological situation and coming together to solve it.At the risk of repeating a worn out cliche, we are at a crossroads point as far as our history is concerned. We are in dire need of radical solutions that dare to rethink the way we do things from the ground up. It is in this context that IoT technologies stand as a beacon of hope for our future.

large_onio_our_garbage_problem.jpg

medium_onio_our_garbage_problem.jpg

preload_onio_our_garbage_problem.jpg

small_onio_our_garbage_problem.jpg

thumbnail_onio_our_garbage_problem.jpg

xsmall_onio_our_garbage_problem.jpg

onio_our_garbage_problem.jpg

We are sitting on an enormous pile of junk, quite literally. Humans worldwide generate upwards of 2.01 billion tonnes of solid waste every year. What’s even more worrisome is that about a third of this waste is mismanaged, causing untold harm to the surrounding environment. As the global population continues to surge past the 8 billion mark, it is only a matter of time before the gargantuan amounts of waste we generate come back to hurt our backsides. 

preload_onio_our_garbage_problem_t.jpg

small_onio_our_garbage_problem_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_our_garbage_problem_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_our_garbage_problem_t.jpg

onio_our_garbage_problem_t.jpg

Our Garbage Problem is Huge - Can IoT Clean it Up?

It is safe to assume that by now most of us have a working understanding of what the Internet of Things is and why it's practically indispensable to the way our things around us work.&nbsp;Today, thanks to the internet of things, we are able to transform objects around us into nodes in an extensive and powerful system that is based on information free flow. What this has enabled is a world which is much more tightly knit together in terms of connectivity and data. We are able to achieve levels of efficiency, connectivity, communication and economy that were practically impossible to conceive of just a few years ago.&nbsp;But here’s the best part - this is just the beginning! We are only in the dawn of the veritable technological revolution that is IoT. With each passing day, advancements are being made in IoT and its allied technologies that are uncovering newer and more exciting possibilities. This seemingly endless stream of advancements is giving us some pretty exciting technologies - one of which is the Internet of Nano Things (IoNT).<h3>The nanotechnology story</h3>To understand IoNT in the right context, it is important that we take a brief look at the history of nanotechnology.&nbsp;But before we do that, let’s define nanotechnology first.&nbsp;So, what is nano-technology?Nanotechnology basically refers to the use of matter on an incredibly tiny scale - i.e on an atomic, molecular or supramolecular scale. Mostly, nanotechnology is used for industrial and computing purposes.The seeds of what modern nanotechnology is today were sown by legendary physicist Richard Feynman in his talk titled <a href="https://youtu.be/4eRCygdW--c">There’s plenty of room at the bottom</a>, all the way back in 1959.&nbsp;It wasn’t for another 15 years that the term nano-technology was first used by Norio Taniguchi. Throughout the 1980s, there was a lot of experimental work conducted around nanotechnology and this led to widespread popularity of the field and some notable early progress.By the early 2000s, the field of nanoscience had piqued a substantial amount of global interest, to the point that there were several controversies about what the term nanotechnology entailed and what the potential implications of this technology were.&nbsp;Around the same time, we also started seeing commercial products that were based on advancements made in the field of nanotechnology. The most notable example is perhaps the advent of the silver nano platform which enabled the use of silver nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent.&nbsp;In the subsequent decade and a half, copious amounts of research work has been performed within nanotechnology and this has resulted in some notable advancements within the field. For instance, in 2006, a team of Korean researchers developed the world’s smallest nano-electric device device. Measuring a mere 3nm, the device heralded the dawn of a new era in technology.&nbsp;Hmm all that sounds fine. But, what good is all this in the real world? Like, what is it used for?&nbsp;<ul><li>Nanosensors are being used today to detect the exact level of pollution in the air around us. They help us identify what’s causing the pollution which can help us remediate the situation and reduce the level of pollution in the air.</li><li>Nanosensors are being used extensively in diagnostic medicine. Imagine a particle-sized doctor that can get into the tiniest crevices of your inner-body and use that to arrive at an exact diagnosis.</li><li>Another notable example is the use of nanosensors in DNA tests. We can use nanosensors to study cells and identify similarities and differences between various types of cells at a nuclear level. This is helping us push our understanding of life further by shedding light on heretofore unsolved mysteries.</li></ul><h3>When IoT met nanotechnology</h3>Leaving aside the technical details, a simple way to understand all this is by taking a look at how technology has been shrinking in size for the past few years. Phones used to be big, bulky things just a few years ago - today, they are sleek and this trend is continuing as time pases. The same kind of trend is evident with pretty much all other kinds of technology as well.This essentially signifies a process of getting more efficient with the way we design and use technology - i.e we are able to accomplish more with less. IoNT basically represents IoT’s journey towards accomplishing more with less.&nbsp;Wait a minute - so what is the IoNT again?&nbsp;The internet of nano things isn’t all that different from the<a href="/article/what-is-the-internet-of-things-onio-explains.html"> internet of things</a> - it’s just a bunch of interconnected devices that are able to communicate with each other. Except, in the case of the internet of nano things, these devices are super-tiny - i.e they are nano sized.&nbsp;So, how small are we talking?We’re talking 0.1 to 100 nanometers And just so you can wrap your head around that, the thickness of a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nm. It takes a billion nanometers to make a meter! That should give you a rough idea of the kinds of minuscule sizes we are talking about when we say “nano”.It is assumed that in the near future, IoT will embrace nano-technology in a much bigger way which will lead to an accelerated development of IoNT.&nbsp;OK, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s look at some of the ways in which IoNT devices will be used. This will depend a lot on the specific application and the purpose that they are built to serve.For instance, in a smart manufacturing scenario, IoNT devices might be used to monitor temperature, humidity, pressure, levels of toxic fumes and particulate matter and perhaps other similar variables such as emissions and water quality.&nbsp;In a different application like say a <a href="/article/what-are-smart-cities-during-covid19.html">smart city</a>, they could be used to monitor various parameters pertaining to air quality, water quality across the entire city. Alternatively, they could perform a proximity-sensing role which could help alleviate congestion and regulate traffic. These nano-sized sensors could help us make <a href="/article/iot-motorcycles-a-life-saving-union.html">connected vehicles</a> safer and more seamless to use.&nbsp;The bottomline is that they can be applied in as much of a range of capacities as present day IoT technologies - what makes IoNT exciting is the scale.&nbsp;<h3>Why IoNT?</h3>The internet of nano things offers a possibility to hook up various nanodevices together using a high-speed network. In conjunction with other allied technologies such as cloud computing, big data and machine learning, this can open up a wide range of opportunities.&nbsp;It’s a lot like how mobile phones do everything fixed line phones did but add layers of functionality, new features and more convenience. IoNT can take everything that IoT does today and super charge it.&nbsp;IoNT can allow us to receive extremely granular information from networks of nano-sized devices. These can lead to novel insights that would have been impossible to acquire if not for the scale and penetration that nano-sensors can help us achieve. IoNT networks allow for data to be collected from places that are extremely hard to access.&nbsp;<h3>How is a typical IoNT network built?</h3>Typically, an IoNT system is likely to consist of nano-nodes, nano-routers, gateways and nano-micro interface devices. So, what do each of these components do?Nano-nodes - The smallest device that can perform a computational task is called a nano-node. For instance, bio-sensors that can collect data from within the human body are an example of a nano-node.&nbsp;Nano-routers - Nano-routers have more computational capabilities than typical nano-nodes. They function as information aggregators within an IoNT network. Nano-routers also control the activity of the nano-nodes in a network bye xchanging control commands.&nbsp;Nano-micro interface devices - These devices act as relay points between the nano-scale and micro-scale components of the network. They act as hybrid devices that enable communication using both nano communication techniques and more traditional communication protocols.&nbsp;Gateways - A gateway enables the entire nano-network to be controlled over the internet. Let’s use the example of the bio-sensor again. In the case of an implantable medical device or a host of nano-sensors implanted in the human body, a gateway is the part of the system that allows doctors to access and manipulate the data using the internet.&nbsp;<h3>Applications of IoNT</h3>As we mentioned in an earlier instance, state-of-the-art methodologies are employed by IoNT for data collection. This means that nearly all present-day IoT applications can be built upon to some extent by IoNT technology. Moreover, IoNT can allow us to expand on the gamut of possibilities that IoT currently offers.&nbsp;Let’s take a look at some of the potential use-cases for IoNT systems.&nbsp;<h4>Healthcare</h4>Healthcare should be the first thing to come to anybody’s mind when it comes to IoNT technology. Body sensor networks (BSN) is the foremost application for IoNT devices in today’s world.&nbsp;A body sensor network is a system that uses a suite of sensors that are deployed inside the human body to gain pertinent insights and diagnostically useful information that are otherwise beyond the scope of traditional diagnostic techniques. These nano-sized biosensors can help us gain a previously inaccessible level of reach into the inner workings of the human body. In the years to come, IoNT is likely to play a massive role in the way healthcare is delivered.&nbsp;Nanosensors are likely going to perform several roles within medicine - for instance, they can be used to detect pathogens that are otherwise hard to detect. Imagination’s the limit really when it comes to what can be done - we might even be able to design continuous temperature monitoring devices that work from inside the body in the near future!<h4>Agriculture</h4>Times change and we change with the changing times. However, some fundamental realities of life have never and will never change - one of these fundamental realities is the fact that human beings need food to survive.&nbsp;We have been desperately trying to uncover new solutions to keep up with the ever increasing global demand for food. As a result of an exploding global population, there is an urgent need to implement high-tech solutions in farming.&nbsp;IoT based precision-farming solutions are catching up all over the world and this trend is only set to continue in the years to come. The Internet of nano things can be used in smart farming operations in several ways - nanosensors can collect data, in real-time, about soil quality, moisture levels and crop health. IoNT can allow farmers to collect highly granular data that can help them optimise their operations and in turn, increase their yields.&nbsp;Nanosensors can also be used to track the location of farm animals such as cattle, in real-time. They can also potentially be used to monitor the health of farm animals and regulate their feeds and behaviour. These systems could very well include nano-sized biosensors that are embedded inside animals. These sensors could offer us access to an unprecedented level of insight into specific nutritional and medical requirements of farm animals, which in turn is likely to translate to higher profits for farmers.&nbsp;<h4>Smart homes</h4>We already have smart home solutions today but with IoNT can greatly increase the functionality of a smart home and its value proposition to the end-user. It’s simple really - with nano-sized sensors, more data can be collected and over a broader range of variables. The data collected can be super-fine and granular.&nbsp;For example, nano-sensors can help us detect gas leaks and alert homeowners well before any serious harm befalls their property. Additionally, nano sensors could be used for climate control or security.&nbsp;<h3>Just the beginning</h3>As far as the IoNT is concerned, there is no doubt that what we are seeing is the very tip of the iceberg. There is no telling what new possibilities this technology will unearth in the near future.&nbsp;Nano-technology holds a lot of promise, especially in certain key sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing and transport. In this article, we just took a bird’s eye view on some of the more probable ways in which nano-sensors are likely to be used within IoT networks. However, the full scope of nano-sensors and the internet of nano things at large is way bigger than what we’ve seen here.&nbsp;

large_onio-internet-of-nano-things.jpg

medium_onio-internet-of-nano-things.jpg

small_onio-internet-of-nano-things.jpg

thumbnail_onio-internet-of-nano-things.jpg

onio-internet-of-nano-things.jpg

large_onio-internet-of-nano-things (2).jpg

medium_onio-internet-of-nano-things (2).jpg

small_onio-internet-of-nano-things (2).jpg

thumbnail_onio-internet-of-nano-things (2).jpg

onio-internet-of-nano-things (2).jpg

IonT is a hot topic in the IoT world right now. The Internet of Nano Things is a nascent technology that has started making waves - IoNT is essentially the IoT but on a nano scale. IoNT basically refers to the interconnection of nano-sized devices within existing networks. In the sections below, we’ll take an in-depth look at IoNT and its applications. 

medium_onio-internet-of-nano-things-t-fill-size-694x611 (1).jpg

small_onio-internet-of-nano-things-t-fill-size-694x611 (1).jpg

thumbnail_onio-internet-of-nano-things-t-fill-size-694x611 (1).jpg

onio-internet-of-nano-things-t-fill-size-694x611 (1).jpg

IoNT - What is the Internet Of Nano Things

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="True" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1.0)" data-projectid="mKr3NQGZ48sPHvstSH36">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io/text-to-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs Text to Speech</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Another day, another tired old, “go green” marketing campaign - now they’re all over the place. All sorts of companies have started chiming in - not just the ones that are traditionally seen as eco-friendly. There’s a seemingly interminable catalogue of sustainability driven campaigns today - all sorts of products being positioned as the “green” alternative; Every commodity out there claiming to save the planet.&nbsp;It’s not coming out of nowhere. There’s a massive demand for more sustainable products and services from today’s consumer, who seems to be more <a href="https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-IN/">clued up</a> than ever about environmental issues and wants to make a difference with their purchases.&nbsp;There is a clear directive from the world’s consumer base that companies that prioritise holistic well-being over myopic self-interest will be rewarded richly. Now more than ever, <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/rise-of-eco-conscious-consumer.html">consumers</a> are choosing to go green, making a huge statement with how they spend their money.&nbsp; This message has been received loud and clear by the businesses of the world and they’re tripping over one another trying to get on the sustainability bandwagon.&nbsp;The market has a good idea about a company or brand’s hierarchy of values - we might not exactly know the inner machinations of what makes a company tick - but we sure can call out a bandwagon jumper just fine - the ones who are built around a core value that calls for more environmental consciousness are easy to identify.&nbsp;But on the other hand, environmental concerns are pressing and urgent - there is an ever growing realisation that we need urgent action to reverse some of the <a href="https://consciousplanet.org/en/save-soil/soil">catastrophic</a> trends of ecological degradation that we see around us today. We’re literally burning the planet down - destroying the very source of our lives. So maybe this is a good time to start caring about sustainability - or even performatively caring about sustainability?This is a good time for all earth dwellers to take a moment to ask ourselves what sustainability means to us. It’s time we reconcile our desire for a healthier planet with the drives that are leading us to burn the planet down.&nbsp;<blockquote>However selfish man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it. - Adam Smith</blockquote>There is this idea that all economic activity is driven by the profit motive - at least in a liberal economic model.This is broadly true - when free from external agencies that seek to force their hands, human beings largely tend to work towards their own well-being and prosperity rather than against.&nbsp;But, the idea that all transactions, in a market, happen among rational and self-seeking players with a myopic vision of profit is not true. People are complex organisms and have divergent drives, motivations and incentive structures.&nbsp;Human beings belong to multiple structures that exist at multiple levels of organisation - i.e. first and foremost, we are individuals. As individuals, we belong to family units, the welfare of which we sometimes put over our own. Similarly, when we zoom out, we belong to various other collective units, which command varying levels of loyalty, responsibility and belonging.&nbsp;This is not just some abstraction - in our day to day lives, we make several decisions that balance our commitment to wellbeing and value across various levels of this hierarchy of belonging.&nbsp;We are often faced with situations where we prioritise well-being on the level of the collective over that of the individual. The converse is true as well, obviously. That’s where accountability comes in. We’re much less likely to make decisions that benefit us as individuals at the cost of our community’s well being when there is a certain level of accountability within said community.&nbsp;Today, we’re able to exchange value at multiple levels and maintain accountability on a really large scale. Thanks to technology and social media, we are able to see how value exchanges affect not just the producer and the direct consumer but literally everything else on the planet.&nbsp;This is where the idea of sustainability becomes relevant from a macroeconomic standpoint.&nbsp;So, how do we see sustainability? What’s sustainability, as defined and understood by us?&nbsp;Creating and offering a multi-layered stack of value. That’s how we see sustainability. Very simple. Not catering to one problem of an individual or an entity while contributing to other problems at other levels of collectivity that they occupy.&nbsp;What do we mean by this?We are quickly realising that a product or a service that offers value to one party but at the cost of our collective wellbeing is just not doing a great job of leveraging all the available resources we have.&nbsp;Today, more than ever before, we have an oceanic pool of knowledge, operational tools, know-how and talent to draw from. National borders don’t matter. College degrees don’t matter - there are way more sophisticated and bespoke methods available to vet for quality. Consumers have a ton of power and choice in terms of the products and services they choose to associate with.&nbsp;Similarly, businesses also have more choice than ever about the kind of solutions, talent, processes and structures they can employ.&nbsp;So, the businesses that we’ll see doing well in these times are those that execute on the promise of value-creation at every level of organisation - the individual, the micro-collective (i.e company, demographic group etc), macro-collective(s) - i.e humans as whole, life as a whole etc and then, one level up from this - the habitat that all of these other levels share - which is planet earth.&nbsp;So, a sustainable business is one that takes upon itself the task of adding value - not just to one level of the hierarchy - but to as many levels as possible.&nbsp;With <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/rise-of-eco-conscious-consumer.html">consumers</a> getting more and more informed and highly eco-conscious, companies and products that operate on a less inclusive model will simply not make it.&nbsp;<h2>Sustainability in the IoT Sector</h2>Let’s take the example of the IoT sector.&nbsp;If we continue pushing out products that find a way to reduce labour, cut costs, drive up operational efficiency etc. but do so by requiring thousands of battery changes every year - that’s a bad idea.&nbsp;Dumping hundreds of thousands of batteries into our oceans and <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/our-huge-soil-problem-how-iot-help.html">soil</a> (which are precious resources that affect the wellbeing of every single one of us directly), we are literally adding negative value to the world.&nbsp;No business can expect to live for long adding negative value - maybe it can go on for a while as the information gap closes - but this isn’t going to last very long.&nbsp;Like we said earlier, the idea is pretty straightforward - all of us hold a hierarchy of identities based on the hierarchy of social collectives that we belong to, at various levels. At one level, we’re individuals with guaranteed rights, powers of discretion and individual choice. But, this individuality is dependent to varying degrees on the family setup we belong to.Likewise, we belong to various other levels of collectivity - like cities, countries etc - at the highest level, all living organisms belong to the collective that is “life on earth”. This is not an exercise in abstraction - this is not some imposed framework that ought to be adopted to view the world through - this is a reality.&nbsp;Things that happen to the ecosystem at large, happen to us. Things that affect the air, soil, water and general livability of this planetary ecosystem, affect us too as an extension. That this needs to be said goes to show how much we’ve become atomised in today’s world.&nbsp;We are facing some pretty <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/solving-challenges-batteryless-iot.html">grave</a> threats as a planetary collective and <a href="https://consciousplanet.org/en/save-soil">urgent action</a> is what’s going to get us out of trouble - this means, businesses that offer value to the various levels of collectivity that we inhabit will be <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/rise-of-eco-conscious-consumer.html">chosen</a> over those that serve just one level.&nbsp;This is the way to see sustainability.&nbsp;Sustainability isn’t some credo that we use to parade how virtuous we are. It is merely an <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/solving-challenges-batteryless-iot.html">attempt</a> to integrate a more holistic understanding of adding value into our products and services.&nbsp;<h2>An Evolution of the Profit Motive</h2>The profit motive gets a bad rap - but it really works! To a large extent, the buzzing industrial world around us which allows us luxuries like frappuccinos and reading articles online, is a direct result of a liberal economic order.&nbsp;We’ve built a society that is built around the profit motive rather than being predicated on individuals overcoming their self-interest. This has brought us economic growth and prosperity. Sure there are millions who are still struggling to make ends meet - but the fact remains that this economic model has lifted hundreds of millions, if not billions, out of poverty.&nbsp;Now back to the idea we started with - how do we look at companies parading their attempts to be more ecologically sensible, as some sort of virtue pageantry?It really is irksome to see businesses using the "sustainability angle" as a sort of selling tactic to push more of their wares onto us.&nbsp;Why? Not just because it's inauthentic - although that's not great either. It's more because it reflects an inaccurate understanding of what sustainability means - an understanding built on outdated and obsolete models.This would be a good place to ask ourselves what sustainability means to us.. So, at its core, why sustainability? Why should we be sustainable?That "should-ness" around sustainability is what we have a problem with. That's where we think a reframe is in order.We as individuals make choices all the time that look like "I should / I ought to" choices when seen from a child's perspective. To a child, anything that isn’t play - or immediately fun, is just something he/she does only because their parents give them no other choice.&nbsp;But, as adults, most of us simply understand the complexities involved in reconciling our divergent drives - i.e short term gratification vs long term goals; expediency vs well being. We might experience the occasional bit of friction, sure. But, we all get how careful planning, delayed gratification and mutual civility pay off in the long run.As families, we're the same way - we make choices that ensure the highest amount of wellbeing (given practical constraints) for the most number of people in the family over the longest possible time. In doing so, we choose to align our everyday choices with long-term wellbeing over short-term expediency.At the levels of individual and family, this is just seen as being sensible - no "should-ness" there that leads to virtue signalling - not that being sensible isn't a virtue to be celebrated though - but there isn’t so much moralistic posturing around it, is what we mean.&nbsp;What we're saying is this - choosing to not destroy the foundational aspects of our life - i.e. water, soil, air is just the sensible thing to do. There doesn't need to be a dramatised narrative or moral grandstanding around it. It's simply what living beings do when confronted with choices that they are smart enough to comprehend - they make choices that correspond with their own sustained well-being.This is how we see sustainability. Simply acting in our own best interests. Doing what will enable us all to reap the most value in the long-term. Pure common sense.Creating batteryless IoT products so we can stem the catastrophic flow of billions of batteries into our oceans and landfills doesn't make us virtuous - these are simply the kind of things that need to be done if we plan on continuing to live here as a global collective (as a species).Finding new ways to source our materials so we don't cause ecological destruction, human suffering and contamination is again - just what we'd do if we were acting sensibly in our own self interest.To us as a company, this is what batteryless IoT stands for - Sense. It's just the more sensible way to do connected technology. It's the only way we can build on the huge promise of IoT technology without it contributing to our already growing list of environmental problems.Sustainability here isn't a cause - It's just finding deeper alignment with our own desire for wellbeing - a distillation, an evolution if you will, of the profit motive. The need to create value - the need to ensure better outcomes for ourselves.

large_onio_sustainbility_sweets.jpg

medium_onio_sustainbility_sweets.jpg

preload_onio_sustainbility_sweets.jpg

small_onio_sustainbility_sweets.jpg

thumbnail_onio_sustainbility_sweets.jpg

xsmall_onio_sustainbility_sweets.jpg

onio_sustainbility_sweets.jpg

Sustainability is hot right now. It’s become a really hip thing to be associated with if you’re a company. Everyone and their grandmas is now talking about going green. There’s a good measure of fatigue and cynicism today about the sustainability narrative being co-opted by the corporate world - the consumer is jaded and tired with corporations trying to win their favour by selling sustainability-flavoured candy. 
So, what is it that they’re getting wrong? Where is this cynicism coming from? Are they not getting something? This is what we’re about to explore. Going further from there, in this post, we thought we’d ask ourselves how we understand sustainability and how we see it as a company. 

preload_onio_sustainbility_sweets_t.jpg

small_onio_sustainbility_sweets_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_sustainbility_sweets_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_sustainbility_sweets_t.jpg

onio_sustainbility_sweets_t.jpg

Reframing Sustainability - An Evolution of The Profit Motive

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="True" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1.0)" data-projectid="qLDWBqdgb8GOF3Y5Zm4P">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io/text-to-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs Text to Speech</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Sensors are all around us, in today’s connected world. Acting as conduits that connect the physical and digital worlds, IoT sensors have come a long way since their inception. With the number of connected devices in the world only set to go up in the coming years, IoT sensors are only going to increase in relevance - In 2020, it was estimated that there were 15.1 billion connected IoT devices in active use worldwide. This number has been growing at a staggering rate - by the year 2030, it is expected that there will be well over <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183457/iot-connected-devices-worldwide/">29 billion</a> active IoT devices!Now, take a moment to wrap your mind around that number. That’s about 4 IoT devices for each person on planet earth! IoT devices are equipped with an entire range of sensors - to cater to various functionalities. What this means is that, as we speak, there are over a trillion IoT sensors buzzing away around us in the world right now! A Trillion!What are these sensors doing?They’re collecting data - plain and simple. Various kinds of IoT sensors, are specialised to collect different types of data from their surrounding environment. This data is absolutely <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/batteryless-sensors-reshaping-the-world.html">reshaping</a> the world around us and the way we <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/revolutionising-retail-batteryless-iot-impact.html">interact</a> with it - <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/are-smart-iot-farms-the-future-agriculture.html">farmers</a> are relying on pH sensors, moisture sensors, <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/precision-agriculture-using-less-to-grow-more.html">NPK sensors </a>etc to optimise their fertiliser and water input to achieve high yields and prevent pests and plant diseases; Smart factories are using sensors to monitor the health of their machinery and avoid unexpected losses, boosting their margins and overall productivity; Motion sensors, level detection sensors, light sensors, sound sensors etc are being used as parts of comprehensive sensor suites to transform our urban spaces into smart cities.&nbsp;It’s not just industry and public conveniences either - like we saw in the beginning of this article, smart appliances, as part of a broader smart home, employ various kinds of IoT sensors to automate various household tasks and customise them to user preferences - refrigerators that order groceries for you on amazon when your stocks run low; pressure sensors that warn you well before your taps start leaking; air quality sensors that work with your air conditioning unit to make sure the air in your room is just right - the level of convenience, seamlessness and comfort enabled by wireless sensors is simply absurd!<h2>Sensors Evolution - A Timeline Through The Decades</h2>The modern day wireless sensor is a result of decades of iterative development, driven by increasing demands of a tech world that was growing and evolving at breakneck speed. In the late 20th century, sensors were very rudimentary devices that could detect basic parameters such as light or temperature - they were usually deployed in industrial plants or in early versions of computers.&nbsp;As our information processing capabilities started growing, the scope of these sensors exploded in a massive way, leading to the advent of highly sophisticated sensors that could detect a wide range of environmental parameters like motion, humidity, pressure etc. This was primarily driven by the market’s exploding demand for intelligent and efficient sensing systems that could adapt to changing conditions in real-time, performing a role of optimisation in various kinds of industrial and consumer-facing settings.&nbsp;Let’s take a brief look at the history of the modern wireless sensor:Sensors may sound like they don’t belong in history - they seem a pretty recent invention. However, if we define a sensor as a device that scans its surroundings, sensing changes in a particular variable or parameter, then we’d have to go way back to the 17th century, to rudimentary thermometers, which were essentially primitive temperature sensors. The 1800s saw some advancements in devices that could detect changes in pressure and light levels - i.e early pressure sensors and light sensors.&nbsp;The concept of connecting everyday devices to one another and to the internet, in order to drive higher levels of functionality and intelligence can be traced back to the 1990s. Kevin Ashton coined the term “Internet of Things” all the way back in 1999. Since then, wireless sensors have made rapid strides - becoming smaller, less power-hungry and more sophisticated.&nbsp;With the turn of the 20th century, sensor innovation started taking off like never before, driven by a massive technological boom - The modern day IoT sensor owes its existence to some key 20th century developments.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/onio/image/upload/v1710416752/first_transistor_819d73fa1a.jpg" alt="first_transistor.jpeg"></figure>Transistors (1947) - It is a well known fact that wars accelerate the evolution of technology. In the period immediately after the second world war, the transistor absolutely revolutionised the world of electronics - making it possible for them to be shipped with compact and affordable components. Before transistors, electronics used vacuum tubes - which were heavy and bulky. Moreover, they were also extremely power hungry. Transistors were substantially smaller in size compared to vacuum tubes and did not require nearly as much power. Transistors allowed highly complex circuits to be integrated onto a single chip.&nbsp; This was a notable milestone in the history of the modern day sensor.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/onio/image/upload/v1710417064/the_first_mcu_e6d9bdc5b9.jpg" alt="the first mcu.jpg"></figure>Microcontrollers (1970s) - Microcontrollers were developed in the 1970s and represented a massive leap forward in sensing technology. Microcontrollers are essentially tiny computers that are entirely based on a chip. Microcontrollers allowed the data from multiple sensors to be integrated within a single device. Moreover, microcontrollers that were built into sensors enabled on-board data processing, completely bypassing the need for a separate backend operation or at any rate, reducing its load. This reduced the total data-load that had to be transmitted, which in turn, reduced bandwidth requirements and enabled some applications to start featuring real-time decision making. Microcontrollers, perhaps most importantly, enabled sensor programmability - this meant that sensor functionality could be customised to match the requirements of specific use-cases. This was a huge boost to the versatility of functionality of sensors.RFID (1980s) - Radio-frequency identification or RFID technology, brought a whole new dimension of capabilities to wireless sensing. RFID, for the first time, allowed objects to be identified and tracked without them being directly in the line of sight.Wi-Fi (1997) - The advent of Wi-Fi in the 1990s meant that high-speed wireless internet became a real possibility for the first time. This meant that sensors could now transmit large amounts of data seamlessly.Wi-Fi enabled sensors to be integrated into networks much more easily, playing a significant role in the colossal development of IoT technology today.Bluetooth (1998) - This was another big landmark in the development of modern day sensors as well. Bluetooth technology allowed sensors the massive luxury of reliable short-distance wireless communication. This meant that sensors located in close proximity could “speak-to” one another without the hassle and expense of using Wi-fi.Then, there were a couple of key developments following the turn of the century that led to the powerful, diminutive and highly versatile IoT sensors that we know today.&nbsp;MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) - The development of MEMS in the early 2000s remains a very significant step in the evolution of modern day IoT sensors. MEMS allowed IoT sensors to be rendered in miniature form, making it possible for sensors to be deployed in the numerous applications that we see them in today. Use-cases like smartphones and fitness trackers are possible for sensors today simply because of MEMS. They made sensors versatile, compact and inexpensive.LPWAN Technologies - The advent of LoRaWAN and NB-IoT in the 2010s has been huge for the emergence of modern standards in sensor technology. They allow sensors to be deployed in far-flung, remote corners of the world where internet and power access are questionable, at best. LPWAN technologies enabled the expansion of IoT into the big, wide world - opening up an unimaginably diverse range of use-cases in the process.<h2>Demand Driven Innovation</h2>In the early years, IoT technology was based on connecting everyday objects to computer systems or large computer networks - this is how these early smart objects were controlled and monitored.&nbsp;This was revolutionary at the time, with sensors being used to blur the lines between the physical and digital worlds. However, there were some pretty hefty limitations as well - these sensors were taken straight out of industrial settings and were often quite bulky and expensive. They were also massively power hungry, demanding wired connections or frequent battery changes. This made it impossible for them to be deployed in remote use-cases. There was a growing need for more energy-efficient sensors.&nbsp;Moreover, sensors in the past were largely restricted to single data types - i.e a given sensor was limited to being able to gather only one type of data - like temperature, pressure etc. This meant that early IoT solutions were straitjacketed and could not really spread their wings in terms of ingenuity or scale - this limited the range of problems that they could be used to solve.&nbsp;Processing power was also an issue with early sensors - they lacked the sheer muscle that was needed to process the data they collected; this meant that early IoT devices had to rely on the cloud for processing and analysis, adding to latency and overhead in the process.&nbsp;The market was clamouring for a new breed of IoT sensors that could solve these issues. With IoT technology being adopted across various sectors at an increasingly rapid pace, there was a tremendous incentive for innovation in the sensor space. The market exerted a number of pressures that fueled the development of next-gen sensor technologies -&nbsp; these were:Cost Effectiveness - The scale at which IoT technology was growing was so massive that there was a huge demand for ultra-low-cost sensors that could be deployed in large numbers without much thought.Size - Sensors needed to drop some serious heft and become diminutive in order for them to be seamlessly integrated into various wearables, implants and smart devices.Low-Power - Battery replacements were a serious limiting factor in the early years of IoT. <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/energy-harvesting-trumps-batteries.html">The battery problem</a> severely curtailed the growth of IoT technology for a long time. In addition to the repeating costs, there was the <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/environmental-cost-of-batteries.html">huge</a> environmental impact of batteries to consider. There was a growing demand for energy efficient sensors.Smart and Autonomous - With use-cases becoming more diverse and expansive, there was a huge need for sensors that were capable of doing a fair share of the information processing and filtering themselves - relying as little as possible on mainstream computing devices. This would save a ton on data transfer and make systems more latency free and responsive, enabling real-time solutions.Multimodality - IoT solutions kept getting more complex and as a result, they demanded wireless sensors that were able to measure multiple parameters at the same time - offering a more rich and variegated picture of their environments.&nbsp;<h2>Newer, Faster and Better Sensors</h2>These pressures led to the development of modern day IoT sensors.&nbsp;Today’s wireless sensors are small and versatile - sometimes even as small as a <a href="https://samueli.ucla.edu/grain-of-sand-size-sensors-to-monitor-conditions-in-deep-unconventional-oil-reservoirs/">grain of sand</a>. This enables them to be deployed in a variety of use-cases across a wide range of form factors and environments.&nbsp;Secondly,modern day sensors tend to be quite miserly with their power consumption, often being able to operate for months or years on end with no battery replacements. Better yet, we have seen the advent of <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/what-is-energy-harvesting.html">energy harvesting</a> powered sensors that don’t need any external power source whatsoever (we’ll see more about them in the following section).&nbsp;Thirdly, wireless sensors are getting smarter and more multi-talented - allowing for multiple parameters to be monitored at the same time using a single device. They are also starting to feature some pretty serious on-board processing power, which enables local decision making.&nbsp;Fourthly, mass production and innovation have led to sensor prices falling precipitously in the last decade or so. This means that they are now way more affordable in large numbers, allowing for ambitious and powerful IoT solutions that can take massive problems head on.&nbsp;Perhaps most importantly, today’s IoT sensors are versatile and flexible - boasting of incredible levels of adaptability and interoperability. Open standards and flexible software interfaces mean that the powerful sensors of today are able to be seamlessly integrated into various kinds of IoT systems, across a stunning range of industries and applications. In fact, it might be <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/awesome-real-world-iot-applications.html">fair</a> to say that there isn’t a single major industry on the planet which hasn’t been transformed by IoT technology in the past few years.<h2>Batteryless Magic - Self-Powered Sensors</h2>Thanks to advances in energy harvesting technologies, today we are able to produce sensors that are 100% self-powered and battery-free.&nbsp;Sounds pretty crazy doesn’t it?It’s <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/ambient-energy-and-io-t-a-perfect-match-for-a-greener-tomorrow.html">true</a> though. <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/batteryless-sensors-reshaping-the-world.html">Batteryless</a> IoT is very much a reality today. These sensors are able to draw power from their surroundings - be it in the form of radio waves, vibrational energy, heat, light or a number of other sources.&nbsp;They are able to harness the energy required for their operation from the surroundings and completely eliminate the need for any external power source. This gives them a number of pretty compelling advantages over their battery powered predecessors.&nbsp;Firstly, there is the money saved on battery replacements and periodic maintenance. Self-powered sensors are way cheaper to run over their lifetimes than battery-powered sensors. That number gets huge especially when large scale deployments are considered.Secondly, there’s the environmental benefit of preventing hundreds of millions (if not billions) of batteries from ending up in landfills and oceans. This one’s a no brainer.&nbsp;Thirdly, self-powered sensors offer an incredible amount of flexibility in terms of where they can be deployed. The sky is truly the limit with batteryless sensors - they are totally untethered and can be taken wherever the imagination goes. They can be deployed in bio-implants, machinery, hilltops etc, with no second thought.&nbsp;Energy efficient sensors are one thing - but when sensors are self-powered and energy efficient, they can really bring an unbelievable amount of value to the table.&nbsp;<h2>Incredible Possibilities</h2>The future of IoT sensors is going to be filled with exciting new developments - firstly, they will continue to become smaller, smarter and more invisibly integrated into the fabric of our everyday lives. They will start to wedge themselves in practically every part of our surrounding environments and feed endless streams of pertinent data to the devices around us, making them more intuitive and snag-free.&nbsp;Moreover, the emergence of batteryless sensor technology is incredibly promising from a sustainability point of view, especially amidst this climate of rising ecological uncertainty and climate related distress.&nbsp;The story of wireless sensors is far from finished though. As we move into the future, we are going to see new materials, sensing mechanisms and data analysis modalities. There is a good chance we’ll get to see some pretty futuristic stuff like self-healing sensors and completely embedded sensors.&nbsp;The sensors of tomorrow, as they grow in sophistication and power, will transform entire industries and unlock a data-driven future where we could get to see incredible levels of efficiency, sustainability, productivity and human well-being.&nbsp;Now, that’s something to look forward to!

large_onio_future_of_iot_sensors2.jpg

medium_onio_future_of_iot_sensors2.jpg

preload_onio_future_of_iot_sensors2.jpg

small_onio_future_of_iot_sensors2.jpg

thumbnail_onio_future_of_iot_sensors2.jpg

xsmall_onio_future_of_iot_sensors2.jpg

onio_future_of_iot_sensors2.jpg

It’s 7.00 AM on a sunday. You begin to stir in bed. You’re not ready to wake up just yet. You pull the blanket back up over your head and roll over. But your moving about in bed has set off a chain reaction - your blinds gradually come open, letting the warm sun into your room, just as slow, lilting tunes start playing through your sound system and your coffee maker starts pouring your favourite brew. All this happens automatically just as you start waking up.

This is not a scenario out of a sci-fi novel. This is the reality we live in today, thanks to IoT technology. IoT sensors enable the internet to penetrate into the nooks and crannies of our existence and allow for a level of optimisation and convenience that’s otherworldly and futuristic. In this post, we’ll take a deep dive into the dynamic world of IoT sensors and trace out the history and evolution of these indispensable little wonders of the modern era - wireless sensors. 

preload_onio_future_of_iot_sensors2_t.jpg

small_onio_future_of_iot_sensors2_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_future_of_iot_sensors2_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_future_of_iot_sensors2_t.jpg

onio_future_of_iot_sensors2_t.jpg

Sensing The Future - The History and Evolution of IoT Sensors

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="True" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1.0)" data-projectid="NoTujVLrcpeP8mNuDbsp">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io/text-to-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs Text to Speech</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>We are living in the age of artificial intelligence. AI’s star is truly on the ascendancy. Artificial Intelligence is now so thoroughly permeated into our everyday lives that we don’t even notice it most of the time. From driverless cars zooming through our streets, to virtual assistants curating bespoke shopping experiences, artificial intelligence has really penetrated deep into the structures that underlie our everyday lives.&nbsp;The possibilities that AI opens up are immense - truth be told, nobody knows how far we can take this technology - it’s still very much in its adolescence. Computational intelligence was once something limited to the pages of science fiction but today, we are standing at the precipice of a whole new paradigm.AI’s transformative power has already started changing the way we interact with technology - ChatGPT is a great example of how AI is starting to feel indispensable to the everyday tech-user - much like Google, a couple of decades ago.&nbsp;So, what makes AI so powerful?At the core of AI’s power is its ability to analyse unimaginably huge datasets, recognise patterns, learn from them and subsequently make decisions with little to no intervention. This is the underlying principle that allows AI to disrupt such a diverse range of fields - be it healthcare, where AI-driven algorithms make high-quality diagnoses that put seasoned physicians to shame; or finance - where AI-based models identify market trends ahead of time and inform prudent investment strategies; or nature protection, where AI-powered systems monitor large ecosystems in real-time, enabling proactive responses to impending threats, both manmade and natural.&nbsp;Artificial Intelligence is able to go through tons more data, more quickly than any human or set of humans could ever hope to. This is what makes it so efficient and powerful.&nbsp;It would be fair to say that a big part of AI’s might is due to our data collection capabilities. AI is nothing without large amounts of data.&nbsp;<h2>Name of The Game Is Data Collection</h2>AI is only as good as the data that it has at its disposal - all AI systems are essentially pattern-recognition and matching systems that work with a high degree of sophistication. They learn to match patterns by being trained on massive amounts of data - which they use to identify correlations and create decision-making heuristics.&nbsp;The quality of the data has a direct impact on the efficacy of the AI system. This is important to understand because there is a common trap that people and companies fall into when they think of AI as some kind of a magic bullet - a mythical solution that can plug holes in any system or fix any problem. That’s hardly the case.&nbsp;AI is better understood as a fast and efficient way of organising and retrieving large amounts of information. Granted, that’s a bit of an oversimplification, at least with respect to some of the more advanced AI systems going around today. But, it’s not too far off the mark.&nbsp;The idea we’re getting at here is this - organisations often place too much focus on the AI model itself, and not enough on the data it works with. Collecting, cleaning, labelling and maintaining a high quality data set is hugely important - probably more so than how fancy the AI algorithm is. A hugely capable AI engine that runs on poor data is just no good. The converse - a reasonably simple AI system that works on a huge amount of high quality, well organised data can be a hugely powerful tool.&nbsp;AI systems that are based on biased or inaccurate data will inevitably inherit those biases and inaccuracies. This can lead to disastrous outcomes and skewed decision making - imagine that happening in a healthcare setting for instance - it could mean the difference between life and death.&nbsp;AI systems gather data in a number of ways - direct data collection methods like web scraping, sensors, surveys, user interactions etc; they could leverage pre-existing data sets or simulate artificial data sets. However, all of these data harvesting methods are digital-only except for sensors.&nbsp;Wireless sensors are the only way for AI systems to gather data from the physical world, as it were. Wireless sensors act as eyes and ears for AI systems, on the ground, feeding them data in real-time.Wireless sensors allow AI systems access to a practically endless feed of raw data - enabling them to make decisions that are highly accurate and relevant to the ground realities pervading a given situation. Today, thanks to the advent of <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/what-is-energy-harvesting.html">energy harvesting</a> technologies, we are seeing the emergence of self-powered, battery-free sensors that can be deployed pretty much anywhere, irrespective of location or accessibility. Add to this the vast internet coverage made possible by 5G and we have a recipe for some majorly disruptive transformation.&nbsp;This is especially the case in remote use-cases where self-powered IoT sensors make sure AI systems are supplied with a relentless stream of accurate, real-time data. In use-cases such as <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/precision-agriculture-using-less-to-grow-more.html">precision agriculture</a>, this is invaluable to the accuracy and precision of an AI system’s decisions.<h2>The Symbiosis Between IoT Sensors and AI</h2>The meteoric rise of AI over the last few years has coincided with IoT’s similar trajectory. Both these technologies stand as the cutting edge of information technology, dramatically transforming nearly every aspect of human life today.&nbsp;IoT, in essence, refers to a system of interconnected nodes that are able to communicate with one another independently - these nodes today have become so small and powerful that we are able to deploy hundreds if not thousands of them in locations as remote as <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10200785#:~:text=The%20technology%20is%20used%20to,speak%20IoT%20platform%20for%20analysis.">coal mines</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319157821000483">forests</a>.&nbsp;IoT systems, through their wireless sensors, are able to collect a continuous stream of data from their surrounding environments - this can be any kind of data - temperature, heat, moisture levels, light, sound - well you name it! This makes them a perfect companion for the analytical prowess that AI systems bring to the table.&nbsp;The data that IoT sensors collect is raw - when this raw data is fed into AI systems, it allows them to create predictions and insights or even intervene in meaningful ways. For instance, the heart rate data from a fitness tracker, temperature data from a farm or traffic flow data from a smart city, when funnelled into AI systems, could act as precious fodder that helps us glean a hugely diverse range of actionable insights. This allows AI to extend its reach into the physical world, making it a much more powerful and versatile tool in our technological arsenal.&nbsp;This is a symbiotic relationship at its best - without the analytical might of artificial intelligence, the huge amounts of data that wireless sensors gather is next to useless. Similarly, without rich troves of high quality data, the most sophisticated AI system has nothing to work with - they need each other and enable each other in the most fundamental of ways.&nbsp;Imagine self-powered sensors powered by energy harvesting embedded in buildings, bridges, factories, farms or traffic lights, silently gathering endless streams of data, without any manpower or battery replacements. This could pave the way for a truly smart ecosystem where data flows seamlessly across platforms, applications and modalities, making life easier in the process.&nbsp;Data from wireless sensors can be used by AI in multiple ways - real-time monitoring where wireless sensors keep a live relay of data running continuously, enabling the AI system to analyse the incoming streams in real-time, make decisions on the go and adapt while running. This could be best imagined as part of an AI-based patient monitoring system or traffic-flow monitoring system, where delays simply can’t be afforded.&nbsp;Then, we have a predictive analytics kind of use-case, where AI models trained on historical data can make data-driven predictions pertaining to impending events - for example, think of a system designed to predict and prevent equipment failures; or an AI-powered weather forecasting system.&nbsp;Thirdly, we have pattern recognition. This is where AI identifies covert patterns in highly complex sensor data, unearthing insights that would have otherwise been nearly impossible to spot. Think early disease detection, consumer behaviour analysis etc.&nbsp;Lastly, sensors can be implemented in automation and control systems that use the data input to actuate interventions autonomously, without any human interference e.g. driverless cars, smart home technologies, robotics etc.&nbsp;The possibilities are endless for innovation and disruption when AI and IoT sensors join hands.&nbsp;<h2>Use Cases for Batteryless Sensor-based AI</h2>Let’s take a look at some examples of how battery-free sensors could be used along with AI in real-life scenarios. This is by no means an exhaustive list - just a few relatable use-cases.&nbsp;<h3>1. Autonomous Vehicles</h3>Self-driving cars and other forms of autonomous, unmanned transport such as drones require a continuous stream of data - this is made possible by wireless sensors (LIDAR, cameras, radar etc). This continuous data stream is crucial for them to navigate environments safely in real-time, avoiding obstacles and potential threats.&nbsp;These vehicles often come with integrated sensors that are able to harness and process large amounts of data on the go, constantly keeping the vehicle’s AI system updated on its surroundings.&nbsp;<h3>2. Healthcare</h3>This is by far the most exciting use case for batteryless sensors and AI. Energy harvesting sensors enable continuous monitoring devices that can track various biological and biochemical parameters in a patient, remotely.&nbsp;For example, imagine a heart rate sensor that tracks a patient’s heart rate data continuously and relaying it to the back end where an AI system monitors the data and slices it to identify patterns. When the AI detects an aberration, it alerts medical personnel immediately, potentially saving the patient’s life.&nbsp;This is just one example of what could be done using IoT sensors and AI in the field of healthcare. The possibilities are endless. Personalised healthcare could get a big boost with this kind of a setup.&nbsp;Sensors and AI can also enable people to enjoy more sovereignty over their health and well being by making a huge array of data-driven metrics available to them. This could enable a more holistic approach to healthcare where the individual has enough information at their disposal to make better health choices over a period of time.&nbsp;<h3>3. Smart Agriculture</h3>This is an application that’s growing in popularity at a tremendous rate. Today, smart farms deploy hundreds of batteryless sensors that monitor various parameters such as temperature, soil pH, moisture, mineral level etc.&nbsp;These wireless sensors provide AI systems with data which they use to optimise irrigation, planting, pest control, fertiliser use etc. Access to rich data streams enables farmers to make sure their yields stay high in spite of threats like erratic weather patterns and pests.&nbsp;<h3>4. Industrial IoT (IIoT)</h3>Self-powered IoT sensors are being used along with AI in industrial settings to monitor the conditions of heavy equipment and machinery. They also help keep track of operational efficiency and impending maintenance needs - i.e predictive maintenance.&nbsp;<h3>5. Smart Buildings</h3>Batteryless sensors are deployed in smart buildings for a variety of purposes - they collect data on various parameters such as energy usage, occupancy and environmental conditions within a building.&nbsp;AI uses this data to economise energy expenditure and offer more comfort and convenience to the occupants of the building. This kind of a setup is what we’re going to see in a lot of homes in the coming years with smart home technologies becoming increasingly popular.&nbsp;<h2>Batteryless Sensors Right For AI’s Future</h2>Energy harvesting powered sensors are practically a necessity for the future of AI. As AI continues its trend of explosive growth and expansion, we are seeing a dramatic increase in demand for remote sensing capabilities that battery-powered sensors and other data-collection modalities simply aren’t able to meet.&nbsp;Batteryless sensors have a few aces up their sleeve in this regard. First off, there is the sustainability aspect - self-powered sensors harvest energy from their environment. So, they don’t need any batteries. This makes a huge difference, at scale, to the problems of mining for rare minerals and toxic battery waste. The absence of a battery also means that these energy harvesting powered sensors require less maintenance and cost less to run than their battery powered counterparts. They also last longer.&nbsp;Moreover, batteryless sensors totally eliminate some big hazards associated with batteries such as leaks and explosions - this is a very important point to consider when we take into account the fact that most of these sensors are going to be deployed in far flung areas, far from human supervision - or at least that’s the idea.&nbsp;The absence of a battery makes these self-powered sensors very compact and diminutive, making it easy for them to be embedded into various kinds of systems.&nbsp;Last but perhaps most importantly in the context of AI systems, battery-free sensors are able to offer continuous operation - this is a huge plus point in difficult environments. They are able to harvest as much energy as they need, store it in capacitors and keep up with the demands of the system without ever running out of juice.&nbsp;<h2>Garbage in, garbage out</h2>Garbage in, garbage out goes the adage - it sums up the relationship between AI and data perfectly. Without high-quality data sourced from a diverse range of sources - data that’s representative of various kinds of permutations and combinations - AI systems are effectively crippled.&nbsp;This is why self-powered sensors represent a huge leap forward for the future of AI. They enable reliable, long-term data collection that’s continuous, seamless, cost-effective, reliable and perhaps most importantly, environmentally sustainable.&nbsp;The integration of self-powered sensors and AI is not just a matter of iterative development - it’s much more radical than that - it’s a proper paradigm shift. Powered by batteryless sensors, AI can truly spread its wings and go places that were unimaginable even a few years ago. Thanks to reliable batteryless sensors, today, we are able to harness the might of AI in very remote use-cases where access to power can be a huge problem.&nbsp;The future of AI looks bright - it looks all set to deliver on its huge promise of reshaping the world, thanks to the silent, continuous humming of batteryless sensors in the background!

medium_onio_ai_data_future.jpg

preload_onio_ai_data_future.jpg

small_onio_ai_data_future.jpg

thumbnail_onio_ai_data_future.jpg

xsmall_onio_ai_data_future.jpg

onio_ai_data_future.jpg

We have well and truly entered the era of AI - whether it’s through self-driving cars, language processing chatbots or state-of-the-art diagnostic tools, AI is well and truly changing the texture and feel of the world around us. AI’s dramatic rise is only set to continue in the coming years - <a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/data-and-analytics/publications/artificial-intelligence-study.html">PwC predicts</a> that AI will contribute a staggering $15.7 trillion to the global economy by the year 2030! But AI needs data to function - the quality of an AI’s predictions and decision-making is only as good as its data set. In this article, we explore how self-powered sensors allow AI systems to dig their tendrils into the physical world, making them an indispensable part of our future’s AI solutions.

preload_onio_ai_data_future_t.jpg

small_onio_ai_data_future_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_ai_data_future_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_ai_data_future_t.jpg

onio_ai_data_future_t.jpg

No Data, No AI – The Game Changing Role of Self-Powered Sensors

ONiO is an IoT company specializing in crafting self-powered microcontrollers that run on nanowatts harvested from their surroundings.

Footer - sub menu 2

Footer - sub menu

Policy

ONiO is a fabless IoT company specialising in batteryless microcontrollers that run on energy harvesting. We are deeply committed to crafting viable clean-energy solutions for IoT devices, breaking them free from the battery. ONiO.zero can use virtually any RF, thermal, solar, piezo signal as a power source. 

ONiO

large_ONiO_DEV_Product_RS_V009_R4_V004 (1).png

medium_ONiO_DEV_Product_RS_V009_R4_V004 (1).png

small_ONiO_DEV_Product_RS_V009_R4_V004 (1).png

thumbnail_ONiO_DEV_Product_RS_V009_R4_V004 (1).png

ONiO_DEV_Product_RS_V009_R4_V004 (1).png

i-fb.svg

Facebook

i-tw.svg

Twitter

i-ins.svg

i-in.svg

i-ytb.svg

Youtube

logo.svg

Products

onio_remote_control_showcase_t.mp4

medium_onio_power_of_zero_energy_harvesting.jpg

preload_onio_power_of_zero_energy_harvesting.jpg

small_onio_power_of_zero_energy_harvesting.jpg

thumbnail_onio_power_of_zero_energy_harvesting.jpg

xsmall_onio_power_of_zero_energy_harvesting.jpg

onio_power_of_zero_energy_harvesting.jpg

onio_the_power_of_zero_3.mp4

About

Articles 

Investors

Careers

 The power of Zero is undeniable The people behind ONiO Kjetil Meisal Vemund Bakken Runar Finanger Ronan Barzic Related Pages Products Articles The Big Picture The Team 
                            You can only imagine
                            the impact
                        
                        
                            With billions of IoT nodes and sensors set to power our future, reducing dependence on disposable batteries is critical. ONiO.zero-based solutions make IoT smarter and greener by enabling sustainable designs that minimize waste and unlock new possibilities. Together, we can create a future where innovation and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.
                         We envisioned an IoT future where power solutions are smarter, more sustainable, and designed to meet the needs of tomorrow. That’s why we created ONiO.zero—a microcontroller that can run 100% on energy from its surroundings. Whether you’re designing battery-free solutions or dramatically extending battery life, ONiO.zero delivers unmatched efficiency with zero compromises.

Zero limitations—A world of potential.  CEO CTO CMO Director IC Design

ONiO is the company behind ONiO.zero - a batteryless and wireless microcontroller. ONiO’s team is home to some of the brightest engineering minds in the Semiconductor world and so much more.

About ONiO

ONiO is thrilled to announce we've been granted an award by the <a href="https://www.forskningsradet.no/en/">Research Council of Norway</a> for a pioneering endeavor: developing batteryless sensor systems tailored for Precision Agriculture. These innovative sensors are set to revolutionize monitoring by focusing on key soil characteristics crucial for farmers - specifically, soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient content. Our goal? A transformative leap forward in deploying expansive sensor networks that smartly bolster agricultural practices. The plan is to engineer hardware that’s both affordable and simple to install - imagine sleek, low-profile units that can be effortlessly placed and left to do their job, gathering and transmitting data over their lengthy lifespan without the need for any wires, batteries, or maintenance whatsoever.The project is expected to pave the way for way more sustainable agriculture operations&nbsp; - influencing water and nutrient management, slashing the reliance on various inputs (like water, fertilizers, chemicals, and energy) and, by extension, significantly diminishing the environmental impact, all while boosting crop yields.Leading this venture is ONiO, in collaboration with <a href="https://sensonomic.com/">Sensonomic</a> and <a href="https://web.trondelagfylke.no/mare-landbruksskole">Maere Agricultural School</a>. Our role at ONiO is to spearhead the development and execution of all hardware aspects for these novel systems, leveraging our proprietary self-powered electronics technology. Sensonomic, with their expertise in crafting algorithms and software solutions for farmers, will play a crucial role in converting raw data into practical advice for enhancing farm productivity. Meanwhile, Maere Agricultural School is set to offer its facilities as a testing ground, aiding the consortium in deploying these systems under authentic agricultural conditions, from greenhouse environments to open-field settings.This project is receiving a generous boost from the Research Council of Norway, with a grant allocation of 11.9 million NOK under the <a href="https://www.forskningsradet.no/en/call-for-proposals/2023/innovation-project/">Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector program</a>, supporting our vision of smarter, more sustainable agriculture.

large_maeare_school_tomato.jpg

medium_maeare_school_tomato.jpg

preload_maeare_school_tomato.jpg

small_maeare_school_tomato.jpg

thumbnail_maeare_school_tomato.jpg

xsmall_maeare_school_tomato.jpg

maeare_school_tomato.jpg

preload_maeare_school_tomato_t.jpg

thumbnail_maeare_school_tomato_t.jpg

xsmall_maeare_school_tomato_t.jpg

maeare_school_tomato_t.jpg

Green fields ahead: ONiO Awarded Research Council Grant for developing batteryless sensor systems for Precision Agriculture

Remote Control Energy sources Right as rain, safe as houses A Zero-compromise user experience Ultra-low power requirement All the frills and thrills - IR diode support Future proof flexibility Pulse density modulation interface (PDM) Capacitive touch Button key scanner Accelerometer Reference Design Want to talk? Watch Video Introduction Visit the ONiO.zero page Energy Harvesting Reliability User Interfaces Contact us for more information Watch Video The remote as we know it is a dinosaur - ancient technology! Today, with energy harvesting, the pain of charging and replacing batteries is history! Our surroundings are rife with potentially usable energy that we can harness and store. Energy from WiFI AP, mobile phones and other dedicated terrestrial RF energy sources supplies enough power for the remote to operate. At the heart of our smart remote solution is ONiO.zero - a batteryless wonderchip that runs on ambient energy! The best part, fewer batteries are thrown away in landfills. What's more - super-tiny photovoltaic cells could be used in tandem to make sure you never run out - Given typical light conditions, you could power your remote for eternity - no replacements, no nothing! RF fields between 650MHz and 2.4GHz.Any source between 350mV and 4V that produce 5-10μA). E.g. PV/Solar, thermal and motion.  ONiO.zero implements a low power PDM interface for interfacing low power microphones. The supported sampling speeds are 300kHz to 12MHz with support for fractional bitrate. The capacitive touch engine does not require any internal oscillator to run and is fully self-clocked. This means that it’s extremely low power and can asynchronously wake the rest of the system up. True wake on touch! Supports 8 rows and 8 columns making for a total of 64 buttons. Runs on an ultra low-power oscillator. Any keypress wakes up the CPU. FIFO (First in First out) of last 8 key presses. A low power SPI and two-wire interface are implemented for efficient interfacing with an accelerometer. The data from the accelerometer can be classified by ONiO.zero into gestures. Drained batteries and interruptions are best left in the past! With just a little ingenuity, we can design batteryless solutions that, well, just make more sense! Energy has to be present when the remote is in use. By utilising both RF and PV cell harvesting the remote will constantly be charging - even when its stuck between your sofa cushions. We took a novel new approach to low-power. We designed for nano-watt operation - not milli- or microwatts from day one. This has resulted in a framework that allows applications using a battery today - remove them tomorrow. We have to acknowledge that most remote controls today still utilise infrared communication. That's why we added a dedicated hardware module for carrier generation and modulation of IR diodes. A modern remote control is meant to be user-friendly and flexible. ONiO.zero supports multiple user interfaces - so you’re never caught off guard - whatever your device or need, we’ve got you covered.

A real smart remote solution runs on ONiO.zero - a batteryless wonderchip that feeds on ambient energy! Best part, no more annoying broken battery lids!

ONiO - Smart Remote

Products

Reference Designs

Watch:
The Power of Zero

A greener future:

Products

Reference Designs

Watch:
The Power of Zero

A greener future:

104 results for 'smart'

Popular Searches

Articles

Beyond Batteries: The Future of Forever Devices

The Industry of Military Things — Rethinking Power at the Edge

Is IoT Technology Going To Help Salvage Our Ocean Crisis?

Blood batteries are not the answer to our fossil fuel woes

Our Garbage Problem is Huge - Can IoT Clean it Up?

IoNT - What is the Internet Of Nano Things

Reframing Sustainability - An Evolution of The Profit Motive

Sensing The Future - The History and Evolution of IoT Sensors

No Data, No AI – The Game Changing Role of Self-Powered Sensors

Products

Reference Designs

Watch: The Power of Zero

A greener future:

104 results for 'smart'

Popular Searches

Articles

Beyond Batteries: The Future of Forever Devices

The Industry of Military Things — Rethinking Power at the Edge

Is IoT Technology Going To Help Salvage Our Ocean Crisis?

Blood batteries are not the answer to our fossil fuel woes

Our Garbage Problem is Huge - Can IoT Clean it Up?

IoNT - What is the Internet Of Nano Things

Reframing Sustainability - An Evolution of The Profit Motive

Sensing The Future - The History and Evolution of IoT Sensors

No Data, No AI – The Game Changing Role of Self-Powered Sensors

Watch:
The Power of Zero