Here at Atmosic, we are gearing up for one of our favorite days of the year, Earth Day. Earth Day reminds us all to take action and reduce our impact on the environment so we can protect our planet for generations to come. We believe that the tech sector should play a major role in driving a more sustainable future and that, as an industry, we have collectively provided many green innovations that we can already celebrate.
But we have barely touched the surface of what we can and must do.
One of the biggest environmental issues impacting the IoT is the horrendous levels of battery waste that our industry is partially responsible for. Billions of batteries are thrown away yearly, leaching chemicals into landfills and contaminating soil and water. Some batteries, like those containing Lithium, can even cause fires and explode when they are not properly disposed of – such batteries are actually responsible for almost 1,000 fires a year. Batteries are in most of our devices from toothbrushes to keyboards to wearables to electronic shelf labels (ESLs), so this problem won’t go away without a serious commitment from the tech industry.
To help reduce battery waste, we created a portfolio of ultra-low power wireless solutions, including the high volume ATM2 and the ATM3 series, and our newest, full-featured SoC, the ATM33. Atmosic’s wireless solutions enable batteries to last the lifetime of a device; and in some applications, our SoCs enable devices to operate completely battery-free. Extending battery life – and replacing the need for batteries where possible – makes a big difference in minimizing battery waste across the IoT.
Atmosic’s solutions were designed from the ground up with our On-Demand Wakeup technology and the Sensor Hub platform to minimize energy consumption. Furthermore, our ATM3 and ATM33 products leverage our integrated Power Management Unit (PMU) to manage harvested energy from RF, photovoltaic (PV), thermal, or mechanical/kinetic sources, whilst prioritizing such sources over stored energy and batteries.
IoT product manufacturers are using Atmosic’s super power-efficient wireless solutions for smart home devices including popular TV remote controls, mice, and keyboards. Our technology is also used in a variety of industrial applications including asset trackers, along with ESLs in many modern retail establishments. In addition to the sustainability benefits gained through the reduction in battery waste, there are many additional benefits that directly affect the end user. Consumers gain the benefits from far fewer battery changes, and then retail stores, enterprises, hospitals, factories, and other settings with fleets of IoT devices also save maintenance time and money.
Most leading brand names are making sustainability a major aspect of their brand by applying green technologies as a far greater priority in their designs. We’re encouraged by this momentum and anticipate that sustainability will become even more critical in the next decade of IoT innovation as consumers demand more sustainable products and vote with their wallets.