Biosourced Multifunctional Antenna for Energy Harvesting – AMBRE

The deployment of communicating objects is booming with projections of 25 billion IoT in less than 10 years. These objects use proven technologies and rely on components whose recyclability is not in line with the expected volumes: batteries and plastics (antennas, printed circuit). This project has three objectives. The first is the new use of biosourced polymer materials (PLA) or recyclable (PC) for these low frequency and radio frequency (RF) electronic applications and their functionalization (conductive layers, 3D shaping) thanks to plastronics techniques. The second objective is related to an innovative component "antenna-capacity": which would be both an antenna gleaning ambient electromagnetic energy and a storage source. Finally, the third objective is related to the system with the demonstration of the feasibility of a sensor (RFiD standard) without wire and without battery integrating a study of the ageing of these components but also a first "Life Cycle Analysis".
This project relies on 4 laboratories (G2Elab of UGA, AMPERE of INSA Lyon, IMP INSA Lyon, Oyonnax and LGEF INSA Lyon) as well as a French company Clayens NP, ETI leader in the technique of In Mold Electronics.
The objective of the project is to propose a battery replacement solution through a multifunctional component associated with an RF-DC converter, which can be integrated on 3D surfaces made of biosourced or recycled materials via mass production processes in plastics processing. The two main points that are the energy autonomy and the use of materials more respectful of the environment allow to position this project in the heart of the problems related to the energy and the recyclability. This project is therefore part of the "sustainable, clean, safe and efficient energy" axis, based on the recovery of environmental energy or waste energy (RF energy harvesting).