They're using JUST the energy from WiFi? Why not use energy from nearby MW and VHF broadcast stations?

There is NO way to use these tuned devices without creating drop-off zones behind them. This is vulture idiot technology, where a marginal idea is oversold to gullible people who are led by the tech writing to imagine it 'scaling' somehow in a way that is not only usable --- but is more cost effective than solving the original problem: how to power small devices.

If there is such a thing as an engineer-sociopath, those who front this idea (or any Teslaesque long distance power solution) are they. For example... in order to increase energy output of the base they essentially zombify it to flood the airwaves with bogus 'traffic'. Smooth WiFi operation depends on sensible use according to need. They may argue that data can be carried in these packets, but what if it's your neighbors on all sides surrounding you with zombie routers, saturating the airwaves? Because they cannot be bothered to change a freaking battery in a WiFi thermostat.

Impolite.

It is also sheer off the scale insanity to saturate the airwaves with RF, for power purposes.

This is not technology, this is idiot death on wheels.

Unfuckingbelivably stupid.

This needs to die ---and die fast.

Why don't we just have everyone eat poison instead? Here's a mouthful of strong cacrinogens!

Eat them every day!

This idea of RF powering your devices is just as insane as direct poisoning of people.
Uh you got anything besides vitriol to argue with? Cold hard facts for instance?

I downloaded the Top Rated App of 2017 : Vampower(tm). It allows me to ping all the phones in a two hundred meter radius to make them burn their battery emitting radiation that my phone then harvests to recharge its battery.

I hate the pop-up ads though.

It allows me to ping all the phones in a two hundred meter radius to make them burn their battery emitting radiation that my phone then harvests to recharge its battery
@SuperT
huh... that explains a lot
you're not invited near my house again

LOL

.

i am going to invent a new pop-up ad that automatically links every other possible pop-up ad on the net (regardless of language) and makes it pop-up right after the initial pop-up (closed, cancelled or not) and then loops in on itself making itself the last popup which automatically restarts the process again, just for your cell phone
LMFAO
yerfooked.popup.ad.net

of course, i will also pay google and every possible search engine on the net to link it to every pseudoscience page out there
LOL

[sarc/hyperbole]

You could use the database from AdBlockPlus to create the ad-oscillator, the adscillator, er, adorocitor. I like adorocitor.

I would venture to guess that 90% of the applications envisioned for this technology could be powered by something as simple as a solar cell. The camera mentioned is a prime example of this. The only interesting part of the article is that they can develop useful circuits that can operate on such a minuscule amount of power. I would venture to guess that by the time you include the size of the antenna into the product it could just as easily be powered for 10 years by a battery and still be smaller.

MR166, that's a very good point. Typically energy harvesting circuits use whatever ambient energy is available to charge a capacitor. When sufficient charge is accumulated, it then does something, draining the capacitor, and then the process starts all over again.

I've seen vibration used for energy, Peltier junctions used for energy, solar cells used for energy, and so on. Or... one could use a coin cell battery and it will probably last for the lifetime of the sensor. It hardly matters where the energy comes from, just that it be there and be reliable.