Future Networks With Wireless Power Transfer and Energy Harvesting [Scanning the Issue]

This month’s special issue provides an overview of the state-of-the-art technology and theory for future networks with wireless power transfer energy harvesting. Wireless communication using radio frequency (RF) radiation has been around over 100 years shaped our society significantly past 40 years. However, is not just about communications. For very short ranges, supply by inductive become a reality through several commercial products standards (Wireless Power Consortium, Matters Alliance, Alliance Power, Rezence). Far-field (WPT) harvesting (WEH) via RF (as in communications) on other hand could be used longer range. Although it long seen as potential powering low-power devices, only recently that (via RF) recognized promising to cope explosion devices networks. Driven reduction needs electronic (remember Koomey’s law according which, 20 years, device will require 10 000 times less compute given task) advent trillions internet objects [Internet Things (IoT)], there need rethink design network so can reach its full carry information but also energy.