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2.12 Recommendations on Research Topics 123
Solar and thermal energy harvesting
Thermoelectric materials’ intrinsic efficiency should be improved in order to
convert a higher part of the few mW of thermal energy available. This efficiency
improvement will be mainly performed by using micro and nanotechnologies
(such as superlattices or quantum dots). Similarly, photovoltaic cells should be
efficiency improved to decrease photovoltaic cells’ sizes and to harvest energy
even in darker places for IoT devices.
Vibration energy harvesting
Vibration energy harvesters will have higher power densities in the future
(from 10 μW/g to 30 μW/g) and work on a wider frequency bandwidth. We
expect that vibration energy harvesting devices to be plug and play (PnP) and
to be able to work in any vibrating environment, within 10 years.
2.12.9 Interoperability
2.12.9.1 Research on Dynamicity of Interoperability and Its
Measurement
There will be plenty of heterogeneous IoT solutions, protocols and descriptions
(e.g. semantics), research is needed to ensure a dynamic interoperability by
more advanced adaptation (e.g. for protocols) and understanding different
worlds (e.g. for semantics). New approach to interoperability measurements
must be sought.
2.12.9.2 Validation of Standards
The very first step of new products intended to be placed, on the market comes
from standards. Ambiguity in standards lead to non-interoperable products
and any activities such as organising interoperability events to validate new
standards must be pursued.
2.12.9.3 Development and/or Use of Well-defined Interoperability
Methodologies
Cost and time associated to validate conformity to standards are high and
all the more when no market proof methods are used. Use of standardised