Researchers at Intel have demonstrated low-power electronics running on nothing more than power harvested from a normal TV aerial, or an RFID reader if there happens to be one nearby.

The project, presented in this paper at TechOnline (free registration required) describes two projects: the first to draw power from an RFID reader, the second to run an electronic thermometer/hygrometer from electricity harvested from a TV transmitter 4km away.

Even when it's free that's still not a lot of power, but the researchers suggest that an unattended data-logging device or similar might benefit from the technique, or just someone wanting to get some free electricity from the airwaves around us. ®

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