Engineering news
Drayson Technologies has granted its first licence of Freevolt, a technology that harvests electricity from ambient radio frequency (RF) energy, for PA Consulting to develop a range of healthcare products.
The deal comes three months after the launch of Freevolt. It will see PA Consulting work with Drayson Technologies to develop a range of devices that are powered by ambient RF energy across the consumer, business and healthcare markets.
The Freevolt harvester absorbs energy from multiple RF signals, including Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G and digital broadcasts, enabling low energy devices such as sensors, beacons, security tags or wearables to be “Perpetually Powered” or to vastly extend the time between battery changes or charges. Freevolt can be used for low energy Internet of Things devices, as they no longer require a charging cable and can be hermetically sealed.
The first commercial application of Freevolt, the CleanSpace™ Tag, a personal air quality sensor created by Drayson Technologies, with support from PA Consulting, has already received 3,000 pre-orders which will start shipping to customers in December.
Cleanspace allows users to monitor the air quality around them and see their pollution exposure. The air quality sensor, called Tag, pairs with a smartphone app to keep track of carbon monoxide levels and the transport choices made by an individual. The data is then anonymised and merged with air pollution data from static sensors installed around the UK.
Lord Drayson, chief executive of Drayson Technologies, said: “For designers and developers, Freevolt offers a totally new approach to powering the low energy Internet of Things. PA Consulting recognises this and – as the first licensee of Freevolt – we will be working closely with them to use Freevolt to reshape the future of connected devices. Since the launch at the end of September, we have been inundated with requests from thousands of leading technology companies and innovators to become part of our developer programme.”
Frazer Bennett, technology expert at PA Consulting Group, said:“There is enormous potential in what Freevolt technology is capable of and we believe it can become a global standard for RF energy harvesting. We’re excited to start working with our international base of clients and Freevolt to unlock new possibilities across a wide range of sectors and really make a difference.”
PA Consulting will now seek to expand the number of Freevolt applications as it works with its global partners and clients to explore ways Freevolt technology can be integrated into devices across consumer, manufacturing, security, healthcare, transport, logistics and life sciences markets.