OPPO thinks about a future without more batteries with the Zero-Power Communication project

In the future, IoT devices will be able to draws power directly from Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellphone signals, resulting in improved performance and functionality, including smaller size, longer life, and lower cost. Electronic beacons are applied to locate objects without the need to replace or recharge the chip battery, and each migratory bird in distress will be fitted with long-distance tracking devices, leading to a sharp reduction in the number of batteries used. These are the futuristic scenarios illustrated in OPPO’s “Zero-Power Communication” project. We explain what it is.

OPPO Zero-Power Communication: a unique project for the future

We know well how I electronic appliances laptops use batteries as their only power source. Battery technology has developed a lot over the years, making great progress, although today it still poses problems regarding size, production costs, duration, ease of use and also respect for the environment.

So that’s it Zero power communication technology that OPPO thinks about the future leaves eliminate dependence on batteriescapturing radio frequency energy from the environment e generate a new source of energy, with the possibility of obtaining very compact, efficient and inexpensive devices. Such structures are capable of bring benefits to different fields and sectors: commercial, which includes warehouses, logistics systems and agriculture; that of wearables, smart home and other high-tech consumer areas.

“In moving from the first to the fourth generation of mobile communications technologies, the telecommunications industry has made four technological leaps: from analog to digital, to data and finally to broadband. Each of these advancements was designed to deliver speed decade, looking at 5G technology and beyond, we no longer believe that data transmission will be seen as a big driver of telecommunications technology, but we believe that technology must evolve to deliver more convenience and represent lasting value to society.Zero-Power communication technology offers consumer electronics manufacturers a way to remove batteries from their products, reducing the cost and environmental impact of the generation process. B5G/6G”, says Henry Tang, OPPO’s Chief 5G Scientist.

OPPO Zero-Power communication: how does it work?

We know that passive communication technology already exists Today, in radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, the current technology faces several problems, such as short communication distances, low efficiency and low system capacity. This presents us with significant challenges when applying RFID technology to specific or complex applications, such as industrial sensor networks, low-cost and high-capacity warehousing and logistics, low-cost smart homes and low power consumption and wearable technology.

Unlike the traditional method, I Devices without power supply can pick up ambient radio signals transmitted from sources such as TV towers, FM radio towers, radio base stations, and Wi-Fi access points (APs), using them as a power source. After harvesting energy from existing radio waves, the device can modulate ambient radio signals with its own information and transmit these signals outside in a process known as return broadcast communication. When designing zero-power communication networks, consideration should be given to their coexistence with existing 4G/5G systems, as well as unlicensed and licensed bands.

Zero-power communication systems can be constructed in a context that uses cellular communications, sidelink communications or both in a hybrid way. Cell-based powerless communication systems are better suited to support applications of industrial sensor networks such as those where devices must be deployed in harsh environments, where the number of devices in a large network, or where the deployment and maintenance costs of using traditional active devices are high. The sidelink approach, on the other hand, is more suitable low-cost, short-range communications, such as wearables or smart home devices, which may also be used to process the data they receive. A hybrid approach using both cellular communication and backhaul methods will allow developers to unlock more appsusing zero-power communication systems.

OPPO has already built its own Zero-Power system

OPPO has already successfully built their own Zero-Power communication system and demonstrated its feasibility for future communication networks. In addition to its own innovation, the company is also implementing an initiative to promote the Zero-Power Communication standardwith research projects at 3GPP and presenting their results at industry conferences such as FuTURE and ICCC.

In September 2021, during the IMT-2030 6G Vision Workshop, OPPO held a zero power communication forum, inviting academic and industrial organizations to discuss the applications, technical requirements and key technologies of zero-power communication. As the industry moves towards 6G technology, OPPO says Zero-Power communication will work with other core technologies, such as reconfigurable smart surfaces, symbiotic radio, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), and intelligence, to exploit the full potential of 6G.

Prior to the Zero-Power Communication white paper, OPPO also released the AI-Cube 6G smart grid white paper in its constant search for advanced communication technologies. In line with the brand’s mission “Technology for humanity, kindness for the world“, OPPO aims to unleash technology commercial communication Zero-Power in the next 3 to 5 yearswhile continuing to build smarter, cheaper and greener communication systems.