Conclusion

The key takeaway from all projects developed together is the devices’ low power consumption, which enables the deployment of affordable intelligent solutions in a unique and sustainable manner. This uniqueness and sustainability brings me to tell you a story on powering a tinyML application in a very peculiar way.

In 2022, a team of researchers at the University of Cambridge led by Prof. Christopher J (Jonathan) Howe and Dr. Paolo Bombelli built a groundbreaking device to generate electricity from the photosynthesis activity of algae named Biophotovoltaics (BPV) (https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/ee/d2ee00233g/unauth).

This device does not operate like a traditional battery or a solar panel. Contrary to conventional methods, a BPV device harnesses the energy of light and, through photosynthetic processes, extracts electrons from water.

Some of these electrons can be directed into an electrochemical apparatus to generate electricity...