The potential of the so called ‘Internet of Things (IoT)’ has opened up a window to visualize a connected world of tiny, autonomous, self-powered Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSNs), which would transform our surrounding into an intelligent and responsive environment. This is speculated based on the recent developments in low power electronics and sensors which have led to the possibility of deployment of WSNs. However, widespread deployment of WSNs is restrained by lack of reliable and robust power sources capable of providing energy to the sensors perpetually.
This issue has surged the research to study the prospect of harvesting the energy of ambient mechanical vibrations. Thus addressing the pertinent issues of miniaturized Vibrational Energy Harvesters (VEHs) is of paramount importance both scientifically and commercially. The focus of our group is harvesting of electrical energy from mechanical vibration using Electromagnetic (EM) or Hybrid transduction over a wide band width with a miniaturized/microfabricated devices and addressing the corresponding issues associated. This ranges from development of next generation, nano-structured hard and soft magnetic materials, integrated micro-magnetics, development of novel VEH topologies and their efficient power management. Our group has expertized in design, simulation, modelling, fabrication and characterization of linear/nonlinear EM VEH devices both in meso- and MEMS-scale. Our area of expertize also includes development and characterization (structural, magnetic and electrical) of different nano-structured magnetic materials for Magnetic MEMS applications such as Energy Harvesting. |
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