• Companies including PepsiCo, Intel and Qualcomm are working on breakthroughs in the Ambient Internet of Things (IoT), a class of IoT devices powered by harvesting energy from ambient sources, will allow battery-less things to be connected.
• The technology can be deployed in factories, warehouses and supply chains, where tens of billions of IoT devices are expected over the next five years.
• Instead of power cables and rechargeable batteries, power can be generated from many sources, including vibrations from equipment, machinery, and even entire buildings, or from temperature differences between pipes, radiators, valves, and their surrounding environments.

Companies including PepsiCo, Intel and Qualcomm are part of a new business alliance working on breakthroughs in what is known as the Ambient Internet of Things (IoT), a class of IoT devices that can ditch the need for a battery and primarily be powered by harvesting ambient energy.

Ambient IoT will allow more battery-less things to be interconnected, using power from radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other viable ambient energy source, according to the recently formed Ambient IoT Alliance.

Ambient IoT "represents a breakthrough in overcoming the limitations of traditional battery-reliant devices and resource scarcity, setting the stage for a sustainable future for IoT technology at low costs," said Kamesh Medapalli, senior vice president and global head of systems at semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies, which is Germany's largest semiconductor company and a founding member of the alliance.

Ambient IoT is an evolution of legacy IoT and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies that promises lower costs and high scalability through support by global telecommunications standards, including Bluetooth, 5G Advanced, and 802.11bp.

Such devices can detect location, temperature, humidity, and more, and communicate with the wireless infrastructure. The breakthrough opens up the ability to leverage IoT devices with standard wireless radios that exist in smart appliances, mobile devices, and wireless access points. There's also the possibility of applying artificial intelligence to IoT data, which could give businesses new and deeper insights into assets such as factories, warehouses and supply chains.

"For businesses, the formation of the Ambient IoT Alliance signifies that ambient IoT is gaining traction and is more likely to become a mainstream technology," said Dave McCarthy, research vice president at International Data Corp.

McCarthy said that the participation of some of the market's largest consumer and chip companies should lead to increased availability of IoT offerings. "With major players involved, businesses can expect a wider range of ambient IoT products and services, making adoption more feasible," he said. "The alliance will facilitate collaboration between tech providers and end-users, potentially accelerating innovation."

There will be 40 billion connected IoT devices by 2030, up from an estimated 1.18 billion in 2024, according to market research firm IoT Analytics.

The alliance will set standards for ambient IoT manufacturers, suppliers, integrators, operators, users, and customers, based on next-generation, battery-free ambient IoT standards. Standardization across multiple wireless standards means devices from different manufacturers are more likely to work together seamlessly. "This is crucial for businesses looking to integrate ambient IoT into existing systems," McCarthy said.

By promoting a global ecosystem, the alliance reduces the risk of ambient IoT becoming obsolete, offering businesses a stable platform for investment. "Ambient IoT's battery-free nature can help numerous use cases for businesses, particularly in areas where continuous, low-maintenance monitoring is valuable," McCarthy added.

One example of this is retail inventory management. Ambient IoT tags can be attached to individual products to track their location and condition from warehouse to store shelf, which reduces shrinkage, improves stock accuracy, and enhances customer satisfaction by ensuring product availability.

Another is pharmaceutical cold chain monitoring. In the pharmaceutical industry, ambient IoT sensors can monitor temperature-sensitive goods like vaccines and drugs during transportation and storage, McCarthy said. This ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and prevents spoilage, which is critical for maintaining product efficacy.

A third area of focus is industrial equipment maintenance. "Manufacturing plants can deploy energy-harvesting sensors to monitor machine health, temperature, and vibration, predicting maintenance needs and reducing downtime," McCarthy said.

Infineon has deployed IoT and advanced AI capabilities in manufacturing and production for use cases such as predictive maintenance. Sensors collect data on machine performance and predict potential failures before they occur, reducing downtime and maintenance costs. Another application is quality control through real-time monitoring of production lines to help maintain standards of product quality by promptly identifying defects and anomalies. Infineon also uses the technology for energy management, with IoT devices tracking and managing energy consumption.

The company is also using IoT for supply chain management processes such as asset tracking. RFID and GPS technologies track the location and status of shipments in real time, ensuring timely deliveries and reducing the risk of loss or theft. It also helps with inventory management, with IoT sensors providing real-time data on inventory levels, helping to optimize stock levels and reduce carrying costs.

"One of the most transformative innovations in this space is the elimination of the need for cables to power or recharge batteries in smart, portable devices," said an Infineon spokesperson. "Energy harvesting with ambient IoT is now possible, where power is generated through vibrations from equipment, machinery, and even entire buildings, or from temperature differences between pipes, radiators, valves, and their surrounding environments."