Wireless Forever: Engineering the Radios that Never Plug-in

This talk surveys the state-of-the art in RFID, energy-harvesting sensors, and devices for the Internet of Things.  Everything you know about wireless communications will be challenged, as we discuss ultra-low energy RF devices, bizarre forms of modulation, ``smart’’ antennas that do not require power, and undulating waveforms that extend the physical limits of RF energy-harvesting.  We present the engineering breakthroughs of today that will lead to real Sci-Fi applications of tomorrow:  peel-and-stick radio sensors that last forever, mm-scale wireless location capability, and devices that can exchange information over kilometer-scale distances without actively transmitting radio waves.