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J. Iannacci, U. Schmid:
"A Novel MEMS-Based Piezoelectric Multi-Modal Vibration Energy Harvester Concept to Power Autonomous Remote Sensing Nodes for Internet of Things (IoT) Applications";
Talk: IEEE Sensors 2015, Valencia, Spanien; 11-01-2015 - 11-04-2015; in: "IEEE Sensors 2015", IEEE, (2015), ISBN: 978-1-4799-8203-5.

The Internet of Things (IoT) urges for development
and pervasive deployment of energy-autonomous integrated
remote sensing nodes. Microsystems-based (i.e. MEMS) Energy
Harvesting (EH) seems to be a key-enabling technology to face
such a challenge, and environmental vibrations are a source of
energy commonly available in domestic, industrial and public
contexts. A major limitation of standard vibration Energy
Harvesters (EHs) is the power conversion performance typically
pronounced just around the fundamental mechanical resonant
frequency (narrowband device). In this work, we introduce a
resonator design concept named Four-Leaf Clover (FLC).
Having several mechanical Degrees Of Freedom (DOFs), the
FLC EH-MEMS exhibits several resonant modes in the
frequency range from around 200 Hz up to several kHz.
Thereafter, it is capable to convert mechanical into electric
energy efficiently in a wide frequency range of vibrations
(wideband device). The FLC EH-MEMS design concept
discussion is corroborated by simulations and experimental
measurements that verify its performance and, in turn, that
provide support to the contribution it can bring to self-powered
integrated sensing nodes in the IoT scenario.

The Internet of Things (IoT) urges for development
and pervasive deployment of energy-autonomous integrated
remote sensing nodes. Microsystems-based (i.e. MEMS) Energy
Harvesting (EH) seems to be a key-enabling technology to face
such a challenge, and environmental vibrations are a source of
energy commonly available in domestic, industrial and public
contexts. A major limitation of standard vibration Energy
Harvesters (EHs) is the power conversion performance typically
pronounced just around the fundamental mechanical resonant
frequency (narrowband device). In this work, we introduce a
resonator design concept named Four-Leaf Clover (FLC).
Having several mechanical Degrees Of Freedom (DOFs), the
FLC EH-MEMS exhibits several resonant modes in the
frequency range from around 200 Hz up to several kHz.
Thereafter, it is capable to convert mechanical into electric
energy efficiently in a wide frequency range of vibrations
(wideband device). The FLC EH-MEMS design concept
discussion is corroborated by simulations and experimental
measurements that verify its performance and, in turn, that
provide support to the contribution it can bring to self-powered
integrated sensing nodes in the IoT scenario.

Energy Harvesting (EH); vibrations; MEMS; Internet Of Things (IoT); multi-modal resonator; energy autonomy