Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT)
Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) refers to a class of IoT devices primarily powered by harvesting ambient energy from radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other viable ambient energy source. Ambient IoT is an evolution of legacy IoT & RFID technologies that promises lower costs & high scalability thru support by global telecommunications standards, including Bluetooth, 5G Advanced, & 802.11bp.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambien…
A-IoT aims to connect hundreds of billions of ultra-low-power & battery-free devices, which has been included in the agenda for 6G standardization by 3GPP. A-IoT solutions are composed of several interlocking components that together create an intelligent & autonomous sensing & communication network.
A-IoT devices communicate over standard wireless protocols—Bluetooth & cellular—& connect thru the existing network of smartphones, routers, access points, & mobile towers. This eliminates the need for proprietary readers or line-of-sight scanning & allows tags to be read automatically, wherever connectivity exists.
wiliot.com/ambient-iot#get-s…
Ambient IoT Alliance (AIoTA)
The Ambient IoT Alliance (AIoTA) is a cross-industry group dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Ambient IoT. It supports an open, multi-standard ecosystem that connects manufacturers, suppliers, integrators, & users.
Founding members include Atmosic, Infineon Technologies AG, Intel, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, VusionGroup, & Wiliot.
ambient-iot.org/
The vast data generated by ambient IoT will also enable advanced artificial intelligence (AI) apps. Ambient IoT & AI are symbiotic technologies, each unlocking the promise of the other.
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Bluetooth SIG
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) develops the core specs that allow Ambient IoT devices to communicate using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
bluetooth.com/wp-content/upl…
These standards define how data is formatted, transmitted, & received—ensuring that Ambient IoT devices can be read by a wide variety of consumer & commercial Bluetooth-enabled devices.
bluetooth.com/blog/the-role-…
IEEE 802.11 Ambient Power (AMP) TIG/SG
ieee802.org/11/Reports/amp_u…
3GPP
In the Release 19 specs, 3GPP initiated a study on AIoT in Service & Systems Aspect working group 1 (SA1) to capture use case, traffic scenarios, service requirements, & KPIs. The results of this study were captured in TR 22.840. Other SA working groups are currently looking into service architecture, security aspects, & the charging aspects of Ambient IoT devices.
3GPP Device
To standardize Ambient IoT across global networks, 3GPP classifies devices into types:
Type 1 Devices
Fully passive, powered exclusively through energy harvesting (e.g., radio frequency). These devices use backscatter communication to broadcast data & are best suited for mass-scale deployment in disposable or single-use apps.
3gpp.org/technologies/rel19-…
Type 2a Devices
Semi-passive, combining energy harvesting w/ a small energy store (capacitor or battery) for limited extended functionality. These devices support occasional two-way communication or onboard data storage.
Type 2b Devices
Active tags that use ambient energy for recharge but feature a larger power reserve & higher performance, allowing them to transmit data directly using RF or interact w/ more complex systems.
3gpp.org/technologies/anbien…
Tech Report ITU-T YSTR.Ambient IoT
itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/opb/tu…
NanoScatter
NanoScatter is the first backscatter network for Ambient IoT that uses a custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) on each tag to achieve ultra-low power & long-range communication.
A nanowatt wake-up receiver design & a sensitivity-driven downlink/uplink modulation mechanism to carry out the ASIC, which enables minimizing the tag's power consumption & long-range communication. It supports concurrent communication of 6 IC-based tags achieving communication distances of 66m indoors & 100m outdoors.
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/36802…