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Updated: Dec 3, 2025

An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses
Published on: April 6, 2019
A self-powered analog sensor-data-logging device based on Fowler-Nordheim dynamical systems.
Darshit Mehta1, Kenji Aono2, Shantanu Chakrabartty3,4
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
This study introduces self-powered sensing using quantum tunneling, achieving ultra-low energy budgets for continuous sensor operation. The novel device enables battery-free data logging for extended periods without external power.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Electrical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Continuous operation of sensor nodes necessitates ultra-low-power sensing and data-logging.
- Conventional energy harvesting methods struggle to meet the extreme low-power demands of self-powered sensors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a self-powered sensing and data-logging technique with an unprecedentedly low energy budget.
- To enable continuous, battery-free operation of sensor nodes by leveraging quantum phenomena.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Fowler-Nordheim quantum tunneling to couple sensor/transducer signals into stable dynamical systems.
- Implementing a differential architecture to mitigate environmental variations and ensure data integrity.
- Integrating the system with a miniature piezoelectric transducer for mechanical acceleration sensing.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated self-powered sensing at an energy budget below 10 attojoules.
- Achieved data retention for durations ranging from hours to days.
- Successfully measured cumulative mechanical acceleration without external power.
Conclusions:
- Directly coupling sensor signals into quantum tunneling-based dynamical systems offers a viable path to ultra-low-power, self-powered sensing.
- The proposed device architecture compensates for environmental noise and provides long-term data retention.
- This breakthrough enables battery-free operation for sensors in diverse applications.

