Free energy harvester Freevolt makes market entry

London-based Drayson Technologies has rolled out to market Freevolt, an energy harvesting technology that turns ambient radio frequency waves (RF) into usable electricity to charge low power electronic devices.

The Freevolt harvester comprises a multi-band antenna and rectifier, which is capable of harvesting small amounts of power from existing transmission networks, such as Wi-Fi, digital TV and cellular - 2G, 3G, 4G - into usable electricity. Freevolt reuses this unused energy without interfering with the data connectivity and without requiring any increase in transmission power.

The patented technology was developed by an international team from Drayson Technologies and the Imperial College London.

Its first commercial application is an air pollution monitor called CleanSpace, which is currently being manufactured in the UK.

Drayson Technologies has also announced that Freevolt will be available for license to the international developer and business communities.

According to the developer, Freevolt could power low-power Internet of Things, such as wearables, sensors and beacons. It can also be scaled up for applications that require higher power outputs, and Drayson is currently working on miniaturizing its initial reference design and creating a flexible version that can be integrated into clothing, among other things.

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