Fujikura Ltd. (President & CEO: Masahiko Ito) has developed a sensor system operated by a self-supporting power supply with a dye-sensitized solar cell.

A variety of sensing systems have been implemented in the field of IoT rapidly spread around the world.

Energy harvesters such as dye-sensitized solar cell can contribute to remove AC power supply and reduce replacement cost of battery. Such energy harvesters are expected to be one of the most useful power sources for edge sensor nodes of those sensor systems.

Conventional low power consumption sensor systems come with 1-to-N star network RF module. Approximate 300 meters of its transmission range provides limited cover area of wireless network.

Fujikura has developed a dye-sensitized solar cell demonstrating excellent power generation performance even in illuminance conditions under indirect sunlight and has equipped it for the power source of sensor nodes as an energy harvester.

Our sensor nodes also employ RF module equipped with "High precision synchronized multi-hopping function". The RF module materializes multi-hopping data transmission with low power consumption, wider network covering area for one gateway than the star network, and improvement of redundancy by securing an alternative data transmission route.

Our innovative sensing system offers low cost both in system construction and maintenance for indoor and outdoor applications. Infrastructure monitoring systems for bridge and others and disaster prevention systems such as slope monitoring system in the mountains require wider network cover area. Conventional star network system had difficulty to apply to those systems because of its smaller network cover area. Our new sensing system is good for those outdoor systems as well as indoor applications such as ZEB^*1 requiring alternative route due to many obstacles, which can be achieved by monitoring and controlling temperature and humidity and illumination inside rooms precisely.

Our sensing system will resolve the various issues in implementation to support promoting IoT in the industries. This sensing system showcased at Wireless Japan 2017 (Booth No. 4-4-1) held in Tokyo Big Sight from May 24 to 26.

*1; ZEB: Net Zero Energy Building