It’s not a new thing that radio frequency signals can be used as both a power source and a communication medium, and moreover, the problem of wireless power has been in research since the time of Tesla. There have been perpetual researches on this topic since many years. As radio frequency signals are both the power source and the communication medium, therefore, we can re-purpose radio frequency signals that are already around us into both a source of power and a communication medium.

This technology can be useful in some of the way but it has some pitfalls too. Like it depends on radio frequency signal, so apparently it is useless at the places where there is no radio frequency signal, its effect on the other wireless system or on those from which it draws power or on anything other, will be useless in the Faraday cage like places. That is the one side, now how can it help the humans: well! It can be useful in number of ways; can be used in smart devices like phones, watches, sensors and any other wearable electronic device. This technology can be embedded into smartphones (or into other battery dependent devices) and when the battery dies, the phone could still be used for communication by using radio frequency signals. In a nutshell, this technology has ample of things to offer.

I recently read an article which says a team of researchers from the University of Washington is working on this kind of technology. They have created a wireless technology which they describe as Ambient Backscatter, which takes advantage of the TV and cellular transmissions that already surround us around the clock. It transforms existing wireless signals into both a source of power and a communication medium. The researchers built small, battery-free devices with antennas that can detect, harness and reflect a TV signal, which then is picked up by other similar devices. Using ambient backscatter, these devices can interact with users and communicate with each other without using batteries. They exchange information by reflecting or absorbing pre-existing radio signals.

There is always someone working on something somewhere around the earth, and as there are endless possibilities, so there can be endless creation which can be created by connecting the right pieces in the right place!

Reference: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130813130328.htm