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Internet-of-thing (IoT) is an assembly of devices that collect and share data with other devices and communicate via the internet. This massive network of devices, generates and communicates data and is the key to the value in IoT, allowing access to raw information, gaining insight, and making an intelligent decisions. Today, there are billions of IoT devices such as sensors and actuators deployed. Many of these applications are easy to connect, but those tucked away in hard-to-access spots will need to harvest ambient energy. Therefore, the aim is to create devices that are self-report in real-time. Efforts are underway to install a self-powered unit in IoT devices that can generate sufficient power from environmental conditions such as light, vibration, and heat. In this review paper, we discuss the recent progress made in materials and device development in power- and, storage units, and power management relevant for IoT applications. This review paper will give a comprehensive overview for new researchers entering the field of IoT and a collection of challenges as well as perspectives for people already working in this field.

With the recent advances in emerging technologies such as the internet of things, wireless sensor networks and wearable devices; and the need to power them efficiently, environmentally friendly and with less e-waste, research communities turned faces towards harvesting energy from ambient sources. One of them is converting kinetic energy from vibrations into electrical energy through an electromechanical transduction process with the help of piezoelectric, electrostatic or electromagnetic devices. The working principle of the latter is based on Faraday’s law, which states that exposing a conductor to a time-varying magnetic flux induces a voltage. This dissertation contributes to the research in electromagnetic vibration energy harvesters as a supply source of electrical energy for low-power devices. The project aims to clearly understand the conditions and parameters that a harvester must fulfil to ensure maximum power transfer for a given motion frequency and amplitude. The study starts by describing the mechanical and electrical domains of the harvester system, likewise the essential background to follow the report. Then, the concept of shape function is introduced to derive mathematical expressions for the restoring magnetic force that results from the magnet-magnet interaction and the magnetic flux on a one-loop coil. These equations are then employed in a parametric analysis and mathematical model of one-dimensional electromagnetic energy harvesters. Their study includes component sizing and mounting, optimal restoring magnetic force, friction mitigation and nonlinear dynamics. Following that, four novel two-dimensional electromagnetic energy harvesters are designed and tested in a 2D motion shaker. The study intends to show how magnetic stiffness determines the harvester’s performance. Some methods to modify its stiffness are drawn to match the harvester effective resonance frequency with an external motion frequency. In addition, required simulations