Wireless Sensor Nodes with Energy Harvesters for Joint Weapons Systems Diagnostics/Prognostics

In this SBIR program, Agiltron proposes to develop a new class of wireless sensor nodes with integrated energy harvesters, which will be indefinitely self-powered, for use in Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) environments. The proposed effort leverages on industry-wide development in ultra-low power sensors and low-power wireless sensor network modules (IEEE 1451.5 standard), as well as Agiltron’s recently demonstrated energy harvesting technology. The proposed device and system design would enable high power harvesting efficiencies, superior reliability, a small packaged footprint, and at the same time, manufacturable at low system cost, thereby overcoming major shortcomings of existing technologies. The carefully balanced choice of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and in-house development holds strong promise for near term commercialization. In the Phase I program, sensor nodes with state-of-the-art energy harvesters with ruggedized assembly and packaging that meet the current, voltage, and temperature sensing and wireless transmission requirements in LAV applications will be demonstrated. Fully functional devices will be developed in Phase II.