The Internet of Things (IoT) is about to undergo its deepest transformation since the invention of Bluetooth. Long slowed down by battery dependency and high maintenance costs, the industry is now pivoting toward Ambient IoT. This emerging technology allows miniature sensors to operate indefinitely without any battery, by harvesting the energy present in their immediate environment.
The final farewell to the coin cell battery
The concept is based on the principle of energy harvesting. Instead of storing electricity in a polluting chemical cell with a limited lifespan, these new components capture radio waves (Wi-Fi, 4G, Bluetooth), artificial light, or thermal variations to self-power. The result? Chips the size of a grain of rice, flexible, and with a unit cost falling below the symbolic one-dollar mark.
This technological breakthrough addresses an ecological and logistical impasse. With forecasts announcing tens of billions of connected objects by 2030, managing used batteries and their manual replacement would have become physically and economically impossible. Ambient IoT transforms the passive object into an active and permanent network node.
The supply chain under high surveillance
The first sector to massively embrace this innovation is the supply chain. Unlike barcodes that require a manual scan, or classic RFID tags with limited range, Ambient IoT beacons communicate in real-time with the building’s existing infrastructure.
- Total traceability: Each box or pallet can transmit its position and temperature history without human intervention.
- Real-time inventory management: Inventories are no longer periodic events but a continuous data flow, drastically reducing waste, particularly in the food industry.
- Predictive maintenance: In industry, these micro-sensors monitor machine vibrations to anticipate breakdowns before they occur.
Toward a disposable and sustainable Internet of Things?
The paradox of this technology lies in its use: it allows connecting everyday objects that were previously ignored. We are now talking about smart tags attached to clothing or luxury product packaging. The question of recycling these omnipresent electronic components then becomes central. For industry players, such as the startup Wiliot, the argument is clear: the gain in energy efficiency and the reduction of overall waste largely compensate for the chip’s footprint, especially as new paper substrates are gradually replacing plastic.
The integration of Ambient IoT into future 6G standards confirms that this trend is no longer just a laboratory project. Retail and agri-food giants are already testing these solutions to create an invisible digital bridge between the physical product and its digital twin. For French companies, the stakes are high: adapting to this total visibility of goods or risking logistical obsolescence against competitors driven by real-time data.
