With the number of sensor nodes often in the billions, the time and cost of replacing batteries is enormous. So many wireless sensors must be able to power themselves. Harvesting energy from the surrounding environment becomes the preferred solution, or by boosting the capacity of rechargeable storage devices to extend the time between battery changes, or even eliminate the need for battery changes. Currently available energy sources are diverse, including solar, thermal and vibration energy, and even the use of the surrounding radio frequency (RF) power supply. TI's power management devices can support a wide range of collector, memory and load technology, in order to capture as much energy as possible from different energy sources.
In addition, the IoT is driving a whole new investment in semiconductors in low-power electronics such as wearables, for example. While wearables have revolutionized personal fitness, the different charging cables and connectors used by these miniature devices have also caused many inconveniences for consumers. Wireless charging technology not only eliminates these hassles, but also enhances the overall user experience, which is one of the reasons why the technology is gradually being widely adopted. According to Credit Suisse, smartphones will become the "private cloud" of wearable devices over the next five years, and the average user will carry at least one or two of these wearable products with them. The technology research firm predicts that by 2016, the market for wearable wireless devices will grow to $6 billion.