Energy harvesting for IoT products
Self-powered sensing
Generating power from the movement (vibration) of objects
Providing solutions to power the IoT market
with self-powered sensing technologies
by developing and manufacturing
vibration-powered devices
Vibration-powered device = Power generated through ambient power or energy harvesting
Wireless sensor network
In the era of M2M and IoT,
countless sensors collect vast amounts of data, wirelessly,
supporting optimal control and management of essential processes.
・M2M (Machine to Machine):
Devices communicate with each other and execute accurate, real-time control, without the need for human intervention.
・IoT (Internet of Things):
A wide range of data is collected from a variety of devices.
The data can be analyzed to extract insights never before achieved and improve work efficiency and accuracy.
However, launching a wireless sensor network
has many challenges that must be overcome, primarily:
How is power supplied to the sensing devices?
1) It is not practical to connect power cables to countless sensing devices.
2) Batteries are an option, but they have drawbacks:
- Loss of power over time
- Trade-off between real-time accuracy and battery reserves
- Cost of changing batteries and other maintenance
- Equipment damage or other problems resulting from power outages caused by dead batteries
Points for selecting sensors:
Ease of placement
Easy installation, relocation, and retrofitting
Running cost and other costs
Cost of changing batteries, and cost to business of low or no power
Sensor accuracy
Real-time data, and high accuracy
Orbray’s vibration-powered devices are the solution.
Our vibration-powered sensors are easy to install and have low running and other costs.
They are highly accurate and provide real-time data.
The possibilities of self-powered sensors
Orbray’s self-powered devices are custom made according to customer needs, including the type of sensor, data transmission method,
and communication frequency.
The principle behind Orbray’s vibration-powered devices
Electromagnetic induction (magnetostrictive method)
- Our devices use a simple mechanical design.
- Electricity is generated by changes in relative position.
Changes in magnetic flux create electrical potential in the coil.
Current is generated.
Features and advantages of our proprietary vibration-powered devices
High power output is achieved:
Dozens to several hundreds of mW greater output
than conventional vibration power generation devices.
| Device Name | Reference Video | Power Generation Event | Ave. Output* |
Elec. Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mW | mJ | |||
| Slide type | 36x20x165mm | Shaking | 140 | - |
| Rotating | - | 7 | ||
| Switch type | 36x20x130mm | Pushing button | - | 5 |
| Releasing button | - | 5 | ||
| Knob type | 36x20x180mm | Releasing slide | - | 9 |
| Curve type | R150(H100)x40mm | Shaking | 100 | - |
| Tilting | 15 | - | ||
| Rotating | - | 30 | ||
| Lever type | 50(pull-80)x80x140mm | Pushing lever | - | 30 |
| Pulling lever | - | 30 | ||
| Hinge type | Φ45x80mm | Rotating | - | 30 |
＊ Output depends on the speed of the motion.
We offer a great lineup of products, with various sources of power:
From shaking something by hand, to using the rotational energy of a door opening and closing, to capturing the downward movement of a button being pushed,
we excel at creating electric power from specific, repetitive movements.
We are able to utilize a wide range of vibration sources. Working closely with our customers,
we find custom solutions that meet their specific needs.
Simple mechanical design
Small lot sizes
Custom orders
Durability of generator:
over 10 million actuations*
＊ Add notes regarding product components, internal experiments
