Energy Harvesting and Power Management for IoT Devices in the 5G Era

Abstract

The fifth-generation (5G) network is a fast-growing technology that impacts personal devices for both society and the economy. With the widespread Internet of Things (IoT) devices in such networks, powering and exploring energy to operate them is vital in the 5G era. Therefore, projecting and forecasting how to power IoT devices in the 5G network have already begun, with an aspiration to provide self-powered and green future communication services. Here, we provide a vision for energy harvesting technologies for IoT devices (e.g., emerging wearable and implantable devices employed in healthcare and consumer technologies) that can aid the research line in the 5G era. We propose that various power harvesting and management techniques at the circuit, device, and system levels will be the most crucial segment of IoT devices. Thus, self-power and sustainability should be key features of IoT devices in the 5G network, and ought to be given close attention by electronics and communications communities. To envision this concept, we provide a systematic outline in which prospective power harvesting scenarios of IoT devices in the 5G network are expected. We successively describe vital potential landscapes of 5G and evaluate the energy harvesting and power management requirements. We additionally investigate the challenges beyond energy technologies that could impede the 5G enhancement.