After years of rapid development in science and technology, many scenarios that were once only achievable in movies have become possible in reality.

Online payments, remote healthcare, and autonomous driving are silently integrating into various aspects of social life.

In pursuit of a higher quality, more technologically advanced lifestyle, we inevitably need to produce more smart devices, which unavoidably increases the maintenance costs of various devices and contributes to environmental pollution and harm.

Batteries have become the Achilles' heel of all electronic devices in our era. Now, engineers at the University of Washington have introduced a new wireless communication technology that changes everything because it doesn't require devices to be equipped with batteries.

This technology is called Ambient Backscatter, a system that uses existing wireless networks in the device's vicinity for data transmission and reception, enabling nodes that previously relied on batteries to eliminate them and achieve a longer lifecycle. The research team has developed a card-shaped small device to demonstrate its working principle to people.

Firstly, these devices absorb a small portion of the ambient radio signals to obtain the minimum electrical power needed for communication. The devices can utilize TV towers, broadcasts, or WiFi signals without affecting the networks or radio waves being utilized.

When communication is required, the device selectively reflects electromagnetic waves to transmit information segments, similar to sending Morse code, but only using 0s and 1s for communication.

This device has been proven effective within a radius of 10 kilometers from the TV tower. It can be used with sensors without the need for batteries. Designers have provided examples such as reminding us when we leave our keys behind on the couch or detecting the integrity of concrete building structures.

However, this battery-free communication technology also faces some challenges and limitations. Firstly, due to the limitation of ambient energy, this technology typically only achieves communication between low-power devices, with limitations for high-power device applications.

Secondly, due to the limitations of energy harvesting efficiency and conversion efficiency, the stability and reliability of this technology still need further improvement. Additionally, the standardization and normalization of battery-free communication technology need to be strengthened to promote its widespread application in various fields.

The research team is confident that this device can be used to send messages in smartphones without batteries, as long as you are in an environment with radio signals. They also expressed their intention to continue optimizing and improving this device in the future.

As a burgeoning technology, battery-free communication technology brings many new possibilities and conveniences to our lives.

With the continuous advancement of technology and the expansion of application scenarios, it is believed that this technology will play an increasingly important role in the future, making greater contributions to the development and progress of human society.