WiSCoN - wireless sensor concept node

Purpose and goal

The main purpose of the project was to build a solid foundation of knowledge for the future implementation of wireless and self-powered devices in vehicles. To reach that goal a platform solution was to be developed and used to evaluate different harvesting solutions. In the end, five sensors were equipped with harvesters and tested in a lab setting. One of them was further validated in a vehicle environment. The foundation is laid for for future work towards a more wireless vehicle environment and several projects will continue implementing energy harvesting devices in vehicles.

Results and expected effects

The demonstrators shows that all selected solutions could provide enough energy to power the sensor and transmit the relevant information. An event driven transmission scheme was implemented to better suit the ultra-low power situation. The conclusion from the main demonstrator - a piezoelectric vibration harvester powering a temperature sensor - was that this harvester can deliver the required power, but is unsuitable for general sensor applications since its narrow-band nature makes it extremely installation and drive-cycle dependent.

Approach and implementation

The Volvo group was appointed project coordinator and contributed with vehicle and sensor knowledge, as well as with the design and construction of the platform nodes. Halmstad University contributed with their expertise in wireless systems and Chalmers contributed with the harvester technology studies as well as the development of one of the five sensor applications (in the form of a master thesis project). Despite a sliding time plan - due to unexpeded hardware developement issues - the project was completed in time, with only a slightly shorter validation period in the vehicle.