Thin and Compact Rechargeable Batteries: Ideal Power Sources for Maintenance-Free Trackers

EnerCera batteries, the ultrathin and compact lithium-ion rechargeable batteries developed by NGK, are ideal rechargeable power sources for maintenance-free trackers powered by solar cells. EnerCera batteries can be combined with solar cells or other energy harvesting technologies to create thin, compact, and maintenance-free tracker devices.

What is a tracker?

A tracker is a device that tracks people and objects using GPS (Global Positioning System), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc. to acquire location information.
Trackers offer precise location information in real time, allowing visualization of the flow of movement of people and objects. Trackers are expected to expand to many new applications, including vehicle tracking, logistics management, environmental monitoring, health and safety monitoring for children and elderly people, and accident prevention for mountain climbers.

EnerCera batteries for maintenance-free trackers

Conventional trackers required maintenance, whether in the form of battery replacement or recharging. The ultra-thin and compact lithium-ion rechargeable EnerCera battery developed by NGK offer the necessary characteristics for power sources for maintenance-free IoT devices, including high capacity, high output, high heat resistance, and long lifetime.

Combining solar cells and rechargeable batteries for maintenance-free operations

EnerCera battery provides highly efficient recharging even with incredibly small amounts of electricity. It can be combined with solar cells, which convert even the smallest amount of light available from sunlight or indoor lighting into electricity. This makes it possible to design maintenance-free trackers that can be used continually, without the need to replace or recharge batteries, in both indoor and outdoor environments.

Making devices thinner and lighter

Compact, ultra-thin EnerCera batteries weigh a mere 0.8 g. The form factor provides great latitude in device design and supports the development of thinner, lighter, and smaller devices. Despite its compact and ultra-thin dimensions, EnerCera battery can provide power sufficient to drive a wide range of devices, making it the ideal power source for small IoT devices, wearable devices, and trackers for logistics.

Acquiring location information and visualizing the movement of people and objects anywhere

Trackers equipped with EnerCera battery can acquire location information both indoors and out. Indoors, EnerCera-incorporated trackers use Wi-Fi to determine location while using indoor light or other energy sources to recharge. Outdoors, where Wi-Fi may be unavailable, EnerCera-incorporated trackers use GPS to obtain location information while recharging via sunlight. Location information can be transmitted via Low Power Wide Area networks (LPWANs) or similar low-power, long-distance wireless communication systems to provide precise real-time tracking information to be managed on PCs or smartphones.

Ideal for monitoring sensors

Trackers equipped with EnerCera batteries can make efficient use of energy from sunlight and indoor lighting to continually sense temperature, humidity, and acceleration. This makes them ideal for a wide range of applications—for example, monitoring motion to prevent electric wheelchair mishaps. These thin, compact, easy to use batteries are also ideal power sources for sensors used to monitor the health and safety of children and the elderly.

The EnerCera solution

nerCera batteries can be combined with solar cells to allow the development maintenance-free tracker devices that can acquire location information both indoors and out. Indoors. It is expected that they will be useful for things like streamlining or reducing manpower in operations at logistics sites, etc., monitoring children or the elderly, but also monitoring for the behavior and work environment of office personnel, and analyzing the flow of people at stores or factories.

Capable of storing tiny amounts of electrical power

• Low resistance and low self-discharge
• Ideal for environmental power generation applications, including solar cells and wireless power supply
• Reduces the time required for recharging and battery replacement

Reduces the time and labor required to replace/recharge batteries

• Can be combined with energy harvesting and other power technologies to reduce the need for battery replacement and recharging.
• Allows the development of maintenance-free IoT devices that can be used repeatedly.

Ideal for applications involving the acquisition of location information indoors and out

• Can acquire location information both indoors or outdoors using Wi-Fi or GPS information
• High-output characteristics allow transmission of sensing data.

Examples of applications

Below are some example applications powered by EnerCera.
Introducing the Slim Position Tracker Powered by Solar Energy
Enables indoor and outdoor position trackers driven by solar cell

News Release

NGK to Begin a Logistics Demonstration Using Its Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Batteries EnerCera at Nagoya Central Wholesale Market Main Office: Visualize Flow Lines of People and Items With the Market through Indoor/Outdoor Position Trackers