Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US talked about their new development, which could give a new impetus to wearable electronics and the Internet of Things (IoT).

For the first time, a rectifying antenna on a flexible substrate has been made smaller than the human palm. The prototype captures the signal from a 5G tower operating in the millimeter wave (mmWave) and converts it into 6 μW of electricity at a distance of up to 180 meters in line of sight.

This current will not be enough to recharge a smartphone or power surveillance cameras, but for small sensors that are part of IoT systems for “smart cities” or work in extreme conditions, this should be enough.

The antenna works thanks to a component called the “Rotman lens” and is only compatible with 5G millimeter networks, which provide the highest speed, but are still the least common even among regions with developed 5G networks.

Earlier, we tested one of the first open 5G zones in America and played through it via cloud streaming.