Experimental Assessment of Energy Harvesting in 868 MHz Indoor Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are relevant for many applications ranging from environmental monitoring to security and human health, but require efficient power man-agement to ensure long-lasting networks. Energy Harvesting of Radio-Frequency (RF) available energy in the surroundings can help retrieve the necessary power. Furthermore, in indoor environments, a strong variability of the propagation channel due to multipath effects is present. This study faces an experimental evaluation to analyze the available power distribution in indoor settings when considering an 868 MHz WSN. The probability density function of the received signal voltage at each position provides insights into potential energy collection associated with the exposure time and relative location of the energy source and sensor node.