Wind dispersal of battery-free wireless devices

doi:10.1038/s41586-021-04363-9

. 2022 Mar;603(7901):427-433.

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04363-9. Epub 2022 Mar 16.

Wind dispersal of battery-free wireless devices

Vikram Iyer¹, Hans Gaensbauer², Thomas L Daniel³, Shyamnath Gollakota^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. [email protected].
² Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
³ Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁴ Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. [email protected].
⁵ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. [email protected].

PMID: 35296847
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04363-9

Wind dispersal of battery-free wireless devices

Vikram Iyer et al. Nature. 2022 Mar.

. 2022 Mar;603(7901):427-433.

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04363-9. Epub 2022 Mar 16.

Authors

Vikram Iyer¹, Hans Gaensbauer², Thomas L Daniel³, Shyamnath Gollakota^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. [email protected].
² Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
³ Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁴ Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. [email protected].
⁵ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. [email protected].

PMID: 35296847
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04363-9

Abstract

Plants cover a large fraction of the Earth's land mass despite most species having limited to no mobility. To transport their propagules, many plants have evolved mechanisms to disperse their seeds using the wind^1-4. A dandelion seed, for example, has a bristly filament structure that decreases its terminal velocity and helps orient the seed as it wafts to the ground⁵. Inspired by this, we demonstrate wind dispersal of battery-free wireless sensing devices. Our millimetre-scale devices weigh 30 milligrams and are designed on a flexible substrate using programmable, off-the-shelf parts to enable scalability and flexibility for various sensing and computing applications. The system is powered using lightweight solar cells and an energy harvesting circuit that is robust to low and variable light conditions, and has a backscatter communication link that enables data transmission. To achieve the wide-area dispersal and upright landing that is necessary for solar power harvesting, we developed dandelion-inspired, thin-film porous structures that achieve a terminal velocity of 0.87 ± 0.02 metres per second and aerodynamic stability with a probability of upright landing of over 95%. Our results in outdoor environments demonstrate that these devices can travel 50-100 metres in gentle to moderate breeze. Finally, in natural systems, variance in individual seed morphology causes some seeds to fall closer and others to travel farther. We adopt a similar approach and show how we can modulate the porosity and diameter of the structures to achieve dispersal variation across devices.

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References

1. Cummins, C. et al. A separated vortex ring underlies the flight of the dandelion. Nature 562, 414–418 (2018). - DOI
1. Lentink, D., Dickson, W. B., van Leeuwen, J. L. & Dickinson, M. H. Leading-edge vortices elevate lift of autorotating plant seeds. Science 324, 1438–1440 (2009). - DOI
1. Greene, D. F. The role of abscission in long-distance seed dispersal by the wind. Ecology 86, 3105–3110 (2005). - DOI
1. Greene, D. F. & Johnson, E. A. The aerodynamics of plumed seeds. Funct. Ecol. 4, 117–125 (1990). - DOI
1. Sheldon, J. C. & Burrows, F. M. The dispersal effectiveness of the achene–pappus units of selected Compositae in steady winds with convection. New Phytol. 72, 665–675 (1973). - DOI

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[1] Cummins, C. et al. A separated vortex ring underlies the flight of the dandelion. Nature 562, 414–418 (2018). - DOI

[2] Cummins, C. et al. A separated vortex ring underlies the flight of the dandelion. Nature 562, 414–418 (2018). - DOI

[3] Lentink, D., Dickson, W. B., van Leeuwen, J. L. & Dickinson, M. H. Leading-edge vortices elevate lift of autorotating plant seeds. Science 324, 1438–1440 (2009). - DOI

[4] Lentink, D., Dickson, W. B., van Leeuwen, J. L. & Dickinson, M. H. Leading-edge vortices elevate lift of autorotating plant seeds. Science 324, 1438–1440 (2009). - DOI

[5] Greene, D. F. The role of abscission in long-distance seed dispersal by the wind. Ecology 86, 3105–3110 (2005). - DOI

[6] Greene, D. F. The role of abscission in long-distance seed dispersal by the wind. Ecology 86, 3105–3110 (2005). - DOI

[7] Greene, D. F. & Johnson, E. A. The aerodynamics of plumed seeds. Funct. Ecol. 4, 117–125 (1990). - DOI

[8] Greene, D. F. & Johnson, E. A. The aerodynamics of plumed seeds. Funct. Ecol. 4, 117–125 (1990). - DOI

[9] Sheldon, J. C. & Burrows, F. M. The dispersal effectiveness of the achene–pappus units of selected Compositae in steady winds with convection. New Phytol. 72, 665–675 (1973). - DOI

[10] Sheldon, J. C. & Burrows, F. M. The dispersal effectiveness of the achene–pappus units of selected Compositae in steady winds with convection. New Phytol. 72, 665–675 (1973). - DOI

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Wind dispersal of battery-free wireless devices

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Wind dispersal of battery-free wireless devices

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