Ultra-small sensors dispersed in the air like dandelions help monitor environmental changes.

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Ngày cập nhật gần nhất: 15/4/2026

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed ultra-small sensors that can be dispersed in the wind, similar to the way dandelions or cottonwood trees release seeds, to monitor temperature and humidity in a forest area of over 100 square miles (259 km2) with ease.

This project pushes the boundaries of purpose-built computing devices with its ultra-small, long-range design. Although still in the prototype stage, this presents an intriguing direction for embedded electronic devices.

Our prototype suggests that you can use drones to deploy thousands of these ultra-small sensors in a single drop. They will disperse via winds in various directions, allowing you to establish a network of 1000 devices in just one deployment.

To significantly reduce the weight of these electronic devices, eliminating the need for battery power is crucial. Equipped with only a few small sensors, wireless transceivers, and some tiny solar cells, the device itself weighs less than 30 milligrams.

The wind-catching structure of the device is the result of numerous experiments, ultimately perfected with a bicycle wheel-like shape. This design facilitates maximum distance travel from the launch point, and upon landing, the solar panels of the sensors orient themselves upwards with a 95% success rate. When dispersed by drones, they can travel about 100 meters before stabilizing their position.

Upon landing, they will engage whenever there is sunlight, utilizing radio-frequency backscatter to transmit signals into the environment and connect with each other, forming an ad-hoc network that can be gathered by a control device.

Mother nature has had ample time to perfect the 'design' of dandelion seeds, enabling them to travel miles while weighing only 1 milligram. While UW's research is just beginning, meaning we still need time to optimize them. In fact, dandelion seeds germinate under favorable conditions and slowly decompose otherwise, posing a challenge. These sensors have a very long lifespan, potentially impacting the environment until they are collected. The research team says they are working on addressing this issue with bio-degradable electronic devices—a rather novel approach.

If they can find a solution to this electronic waste problem (also considering the possibility of destruction in the stomachs of animals accidentally ingesting them, ensuring safety, of course), ultra-small sensors dispersed in the air would be very useful for projects attempting to closely monitor endangered ecosystems.

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