NEC & SoundPower Unveiling Battery-less Remote Control Prototype

SoundPower Corp. and NEC Electronics Corp. announced that they have collaborated to produce a prototype of a battery-less remote control. Sound Power has developed sound "Piezoelectricity" devices, and microcontrollers from NEC Electronics for RF remote control. Power control technology was achieved by a combination of electronic circuitry to drive a small remote control and power it.

The device consists of three main components – a vibration or kinetic based power generator from SoundPower, a miniature microcontroller integrated with RF technology from NEC that will be used to transmit data patterns for controlling home appliances, and a power supply control mechanism that can drive electricity circuit with minimum amount of electricity. Pressing a button triggers weak vibration that eventually is used to generate electricity and drive remote control circuitry for proper data pattern transmission wirelessly – similar to a conventional remote control.

The prototype is ready now and is currently being displayed at a Japanese trade show. The actual end product is expected to reach the consumer market by 2011.