Design and fabrication of a solar-powered Bluetooth Low Energy device

Abstract

A device was built within the MIT Photovoltaic Laboratory that obtains power from solar cells, collects temperature data from a sensor, and sends the data to a phone application via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless technology. BLE is suited for use with solar technology because of its low energy consumption. Although limited to small data packets and a range of a few dozen meters, such a device has many potential applications in the near future. The same device architecture can be modified to suit a variety of applications by interchanging current components with those suited for the intended design application. The adaptability of this device architecture, combined with further advances in solar cell technology and a low-power approach, increases the commercialization prospects of small solar-powered devices.