This three-year, $400,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) supports the development of high-efficiency distributed beamforming techniques for radio frequency energy transfer at Northeastern University. The university aims to overcome technological challenges that have hindered effectively combining energy from multiple transmitters to power remote Internet of Things devices. Key products include a distributed beamforming method using backscatter communication to enable ultra-low-power closed-loop optimization between transmitters and receivers. An ultra-low-power energy detection sensing platform and new RF-to-DC rectifier topology for high-efficiency harvesting across power levels will also be developed. Accompanying protocols and test chip demonstrations are planned. The funding advances NSF's mission by supporting innovative engineering research with potential applications in IoT, biomedical, and remote sensing domains.
Generated 1/7/24, 10:05 AM