Shyam Gollakota and Joshua Smith
Brier Dudley writes in the Seattle Times:
“Cisco claims the next big thing in technology — the “Internet of Things” — is a $19 trillion opportunity for businesses and governments.
“The Internet of Things refers to billions of sensors, cameras and other data-gathering gadgets and related services emerging to monitor, analyze and manage the world …
“They’ll all need electricity and connectivity so you’d think half of the $19 trillion might end up spent on batteries, and the labor to replace them over and over again.
“Battery makers shouldn’t break out the bubbly just yet, though.
“A team of researchers at the University of Washington have timely new technology that could make the Internet of Things easier to set up and run.
“They figured out how to power and connect devices that run without batteries, plugs or cables. Instead, they’ll pull power out of thin air and piggyback on nearby Wi-Fi signals.
“Computer-science faculty members Joshua Smith and Shyam Gollakota have been wowing the academic community with demos of this technology – and steadily boosting its capabilities – for years.
“Now they’re starting a company to begin producing truly wireless, battery-free sensing devices that could go on sale within a few years.
“Called Jiva Wireless, the company was briefly mentioned during a research showcase last week at the UW’s Computer Science & Engineering department.”