Our Technology
In a nutshell
The challenge of energy harvesting
Industrial environments are full of vibration energy, yet almost none of it is used today. Although vibration energy harvesting has been researched for more than two decades, it has remained a niche technology. Existing systems require knowing the exact vibration profile, customising the hardware, and installing it in precisely the right spot. In practice, this makes them fragile to changes in operating conditions and impractical to deploy at scale. As a result, many conclude that vibration energy harvesting cannot reliably meet power demands and is not a feasible industrial solution
Our solution
MEMSYS is changing this. We are developing broadband piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting technology with the philosophy that it must be truly fit and forget in industrial conditions. Our approach addresses the limitations that have kept the field from scaling. Instead of relying on narrow resonances, our harvester produces power across a broad range of frequencies and at the low acceleration levels typical of industrial assets. The outcome is a universally applicable device that works reliably and is ready for large-scale deployment.
The technologies that enable this are innovations at the intersection of mechanical and electrical engineering. MEMSYS designs are based on buckled compliant mechanisms, where precise control over geometry and loading results in unprecedented control over the dynamics. By leveraging stiffness compensation, static balancing, and dynamic tuning, we achieve wideband behaviour under small forces. This mechanical foundation is paired with high-performance piezoelectric materials and advanced power management circuits that maintain high conversion efficiency even when operating conditions vary unpredictably.
The result
The result is a compact, robust, maintenance-free power module that turns chaotic industrial vibration into a dependable energy source. It removes one of the main barriers to scaling industrial IoT and unlocks a new wave of operational efficiency. What was once a fragile experiment becomes a fit-and-forget technology that finally makes self-powered industrial sensors practical at scale. MEMSYS is bringing vibration energy harvesting from niche curiosity to industrial maturity.
The result in numbers
This worked example uses representative operating assumptions to illustrate how vibration energy harvesting can power the MEMSYS Early Warning System (EWS).
Harvested Energy
- Assumed average harvested power: 500 µW
- Daily harvested energy: ~12 mWh/day
Typical EWS Energy Use (per day)
- Sampling: ~2.9 mWh
- Telemetry (1 transmission/day): ~0.2 mWh
- Idle: ~0.9 mW
Total EWS consumption:~4.0 mWh/day
Energy Balance
- Harvested: ~12 mWh/day
- Used: ~4.0 mWh/day
- Headroom: ~8.0 mWh/day (≈ 67% free, ~3× margin)
Our Technology
A closer look
Nonlinear Dynamic Behaviour
Broadband performance is achieved by using nonlinear dynamics intentionally. The mechanism sits in a post-buckled state where stiffness is low and small inputs lead to relatively large displacements. Techniques such as stiffness compensation, static balancing, and controlled tuning bring the structure close to a near zero stiffness condition, which improves responsiveness at low accelerations and helps the device operate in vibration environments that are usually challenging for resonant systems.
Nonlinear behaviour can lead to irregular responses in many systems, but our designs are shaped and tested so that the dynamic patterns remain predictable. Through extensive modelling and experiments, we identified parameter ranges where the broadband response holds up and where long-term operation does not introduce drift or sudden changes in motion. This gives us a practical way to use nonlinear amplification while keeping the overall mechanism well behaved. Even when vibration levels fluctuate or do not follow a stable pattern, the device continues to produce useful motion for electrical conversion.
Broadband Mechanical Architecture
Compliant Mechanisms
The MEMSYS approach starts with a compliant mechanism architecture that converts the mixed and shifting vibration of industrial machines into electrical energy. Traditional harvesters depend on a single resonant frequency. When a machine drifts away from that point, performance drops immediately. Our mechanism avoids that dependency by relying on flexures that deform smoothly without hinges or friction.
Compliant architectures give us fine control over how stiffness is distributed through the structure. By shaping the geometry and applying a defined preload, we obtain a force deflection behavior that remains useful across a broad span of frequencies. The device continues to generate motion even when machines vary in speed or load. Instead of tuning each harvester for a specific asset, we focus on designing dynamics that are broadly applicable, which makes the hardware easier to deploy across different machine types without redesign.
Piezoelectric Transduction
The electrical output depends on how well the mechanical motion is translated into charge. MEMSYS uses piezoelectric materials with strong electromechanical coupling and stable properties under repeated cycling. The mechanism and piezoelectric layer are designed together so strain is routed through the ceramics in a controlled manner.
The geometry directs deformation toward regions where the piezo elements operate efficiently, while avoiding overstress that could shorten their lifetime. This approach helps the system maintain output even when displacements are small. The close coordination of the mechanical layout, bonding technique, and material behavior is a key factor in how the harvester performs in real operational settings, where vibration conditions vary widely.
Power Management Electronics
Vibration levels rise and fall, so the electrical side must adapt continuously. MEMSYS developed a power management architecture tailored to the irregular nature of harvested energy. The PMU can start from very low input levels without any external power source. After it activates, it adjusts its operating point to match the available energy, which keeps conversion efficiency high under changing conditions. Leakage through the conversion and storage path is kept low, so energy is preserved between machine cycles or during quiet periods. Combined with energy-aware control on the sensor side, the system delivers a steady functions base for sensing and communication, even when vibration is inconsistent.