Oppo envisions a future where battery-less gadgets are powered passively from ambient radio waves

A new white paper published by Oppo shares Oppo's vision of a battery-free future for low-powered IoT (Internet of Things) devices (via Android Authority). According to Oppo, in the future we may use devices that may draw power directly from Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cell phone signals rather than a built-in battery. Oppo calls these Zero-Power Communication devices.

According to Oppo, Zero-Power Communication devices are 'battery-free, highly compact, with an ultra-low-cost, and may have ultra-low power consumption.' Zero-Power Communication devices may reduce the use of batteries in general, thus lowering the maintenance costs and pollution that we experience today with current devices.

There may be many ways in which we may utilize Zero-Power technology. According to Oppo, Zero-Power technology may be used in wearables, thus enabling them to be powered passively. Zero-Power Communication devices may also be used in transportation, as smart home devices, as location tags, and even in the long-distance tracking of migratory birds.

Oppo's vision of using devices powered over the air is not something new. Devices using similar technology have been previously demonstrated by Samsung, Xiaomi, and Motorola. At CES 2022, Samsung announced its latest Eco Remote, which harvests 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signals from its surroundings to power itself, thus eliminating the need for batteries.

Although Oppo is talking about passively powering devices, its Zero-Power technology may not be able to deliver the power needed to charge phones. Oppo’s technology also differs from what Xiaomi and Motorola have introduced and called “air charging” technology, which can charge phones from a distance using a dedicated station emitting targeted, low-level radio frequency waves.