IoT Backscatter

Status: Active

Dates: 2023-09-15 to present

Deploying high-density environmental sensors at the scale needed to measure microclimate presents maintenance and data management challenges. Manually pulling data and replacing batteries on these sensors would impose a large burden, which backscatter communications can address by wirelessly communicating data using microwatts of power. Although backscatter is an extensive field, minimal works have focused on translating technological advancements into practical systems, especially for environmental monitoring in areas with minimal infrastructure.

We are developing a prototype system to aggregate time series environmental data from tens of devices. Using conventional methods and deploying a custom modem, we have achieved communications over a distance of 14 meters (monostatic), and we are now exploring novel methods to extend the range and scale the system to tens of devices.