Batteries have been a necessary evil in IoT. They power everything from smart home sensors to industrial tracking devices—but they also require constant maintenance, replacements, and disposal, making them expensive and unsustainable. Introducing ONiO’s battery-free IoT microcontrollers
At CES 2025, ONiO introduced a battery-free IoT microcontroller that runs entirely on ambient energy. By harvesting power from light, RF signals, and other environmental sources, this breakthrough could make IoT devices truly self-sustaining for the first time.
Why Haven’t Battery-Free IoT Devices Taken Off?
Energy harvesting has been around for years, but it never scaled. The biggest challenges?
• Not enough power – Traditional energy-harvesting solutions couldn’t generate or store enough energy for practical IoT applications.
• Too complicated – Engineers had to integrate multiple power management components, adding cost and complexity.
• No full-stack solution – Energy harvesting alone isn’t enough; devices also need efficient processing and communication.
That’s why billions of IoT devices still rely on batteries—until now.
ONiO’s Breakthrough: A Battery-Free Microcontroller That Works
ONiO’s battery-free IoT microcontroller is the first fully integrated solution that eliminates the need for batteries in IoT devices. It combines:
Direct energy harvesting – Runs on light, RF, or kinetic energy.
Built-in power management – No external regulators, no wasted energy.
Instant wake-up – Devices activate the moment power is available.
Full microcontroller functionality – Works like a traditional MCU but without a battery.
This isn’t just an energy-harvesting component—it’s a complete computing solution that makes battery-free IoT devices as easy to develop as their battery-powered counterparts.
What Can This Technology Be Used For?
With a battery-free IoT microcontroller, the possibilities expand across industries:
• Smart home automation – No-maintenance sensors for security, climate control, and energy monitoring.
• Asset tracking & logistics – Self-powered tags that track shipments and equipment in real-time.
• Medical wearables – Continuous health monitoring devices without the need for recharging.
• Industrial IoT – Wireless sensors that monitor machines and environments with zero maintenance.
This means no more battery replacements, no more downtime, and no more electronic waste—just IoT devices that work forever.
Why This Changes Everything for IoT
For IoT to scale into billions of devices, eliminating the battery is essential. ONiO’s battery-free IoT microcontrollerdoesn’t just reduce cost and complexity—it also enables long-term sustainability.
Imagine a world where smart devices never need charging or replacing. ONiO’s breakthrough technology is bringing that vision closer to reality.
With evaluation kits available now, engineers can start integrating this next-gen IoT hardware into real-world applications.
The future of IoT isn’t just wireless—it’s batteryless.
Harry Forster