Texas Instruments Builds New Energy Technology For the Internet of Things

dcblogs writes Texas Instruments says it has developed electronics capable of taking small amounts of power generated by harvested sources and turning them into a useful power source. TI has built an efficient 'ultra-low powered' DC-to-DC switching converter that can boost 300 to 400 millivolts power to 3 to 5 volts. To power wearables, the company says it has demonstrated drawing energy from the human body by using harvesters the size of wristwatch straps. It has worked with vibration collectors, for instance, about the same size as a key. It is offering this technology as a means to power sensors in Internet of Things applications, as well as to augment battery power supplies in wearables.

Comments

Re:Someone just failed Physics 101...

[OzPeter]

"...can boost 300 to 400 millivolts power to 3 to 5 volts".

Power? Volts? Boost? Huh???

In common vernacular of an EE you refer to voltage as power with the understanding that there is current being supplied. EG This device is powered by a 9-volt battery. So the the use of power in TFS and TFA is not out of line.

The paragraph form TFA is:

All these ambient energy sources, such as the difference in temperature in a pipe carrying hot water and the outside air, can generate 300 to 400 millivolts, which isn't enough to power anything. TI has built an "ultra-low powered" DC-to-DC switching converter that can boost this power to 3 to 5 volts, which is sufficient to charge a battery, according to Niranjan Pathare, senior marketing development manager at TI.

Also while current is a needed aspect, the level of voltage is a defining factor in electronic design.