Significant efforts to address the energy challenges of embedded systems have resulted in the design of new low-power transmitter architectures. These transmitters utilize backscatter or tunnel diode-based mechanisms to enable low-power transmissions by delegating energy-intensive tasks to external infrastructure. However, their widespread adoption is hindered by the need for specialized deployment setups, such as the precise placement of carrier-emitting devices. To overcome this, we are developing GateHaul-a low-cost gateway architecture that provides the required carrier signal, coordinates with other gateways, collects sensor data, and backhauls the information. Notably, GateHaul can backhaul sensor data without conventional networks utilizing emerging opportunistic backhaul networks. We demonstrate an early prototype of GateHaul that collects information from backscatter and conventional devices and backhauls the collected information using Apple's FindMy network.

We have seen rapid deployment of augmented reality devices. However, these devices currently suffer from limited battery life. They require frequent recharge, especially when capturing and streaming information wirelessly. In particular, these devices stream information over the radio spectrum using transceivers that are power-hungry, and wireless communication dominates the energy budget of these devices. We present our ongoing work to design a system called Li-FiAR, which proposes integrating Li-Fi with augmented reality devices. Specifically, we implement a transmitter and receiver and integrate them with an augmented reality device. We argue that Li-Fi receivers may consume less power than their radio counterparts while benefiting from the spatial nature of light propagation. This enables novel application scenarios for augmented reality. We demonstrate the transmission of images and audio through Li-Fi, presented on an augmented reality device in this work.

A stark disparity exists in the energy consumption for performing transmissions and the tasks of sensing and processing in wireless embedded systems. We present our early work to design a novel transmitter that enables transmissions at a similar energy consumption as other tasks in wireless embedded systems. In particular, the proposed transmitter does not require a carrier emitting device, which is essential to support backscatter transmitters, but has also limited their widespread deployment. The proposed transmitter exploits the capability of tunnel diode oscillators to function as a low-power, self-oscillating mixer. This property enables us to mix a weak baseband signal with a locally generated carrier signal at a peak power consumption below 100 microwatts. Nevertheless, the tunnel diode oscillator trades off the stability for low energy consumption leading to poor link reliability. In this study, we investigate error correction codes to increase link reliability. Our experiments demonstrate the potential of the transmitter to support short-range transmissions with a low energy consumption and enhanced link reliability.