What Is Energy Harvesting? The Science Behind Dimi’s Battery-Free Tech

When we say our products are “battery-free,” the first question we get is, “So… how do they work?” It’s not magic, but it is revolutionary. The answer lies in a scientific principle called energy harvesting.

Science, Simplified: What is Energy Harvesting?

In simple terms, energy harvesting is the process of capturing, storing, and using small amounts of energy from the surrounding environment. Common examples include solar panels capturing light energy or a watch being powered by the motion of your arm.

Dimi utilizes kinetic energy harvesting. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Our keypads contain a patented, miniature electromechanical generator. Here’s what happens in the fraction of a second when you press a Dimi switch:

1. Mechanical Action: Your finger applies pressure to the button, causing the internal mechanism to move.
2. Energy Conversion:This tiny, precise movement compresses materials within the micro-generator, which instantly converts the mechanical stress into a small but sufficient electrical pulse. This is known as the piezoelectric effect.
3. Signal Transmission:This single pulse of electricity is all the power needed to energize a built-in transmitter, which sends a reliable, long-range wireless radio signal to the paired Dimi receiver.

The entire process is self-contained, instantaneous, and can be repeated millions of times without degradation.

Did You Know? The energy generated by a single press is incredibly small—measured in microjoules. Dimi’s ultra-low-power radio technology is so efficient that this is all it needs to communicate reliably up to 30 meters indoors.

Why This Technology Matters So Much

This elegant solution is more than just a clever piece of engineering; it has profound real-world benefits.

• The Environmental Impact: By eliminating the battery, we prevent the mining of resource-intensive materials like lithium and cobalt, and stop toxic heavy metals from ending up in our landfills.
• The Economic Impact: For a homeowner, it means zero replacement costs. For a business managing a large building, it means eliminating thousands of dollars in annual spending on batteries and the labor to replace them. The total cost of ownership is dramatically lower.
• The Reliability Impact: Batteries are the single most common point of failure in most wireless electronics. A self-powered device has no such weakness. It is always ready and will work flawlessly for decades, providing a level of reliability that battery-dependent systems can’t match.

Dimi proves that the most advanced technology is often the one that simplifies, removes points of failure, and works in harmony with its environment. It’s power at your fingertip.