IoT-Enabled Real-Time Analytics for Battery Efficiency
Dr. Rashi Dutt is the CEO & Co-Founder of SmartKosh Technologies and a 2024 Global Leadership in Innovation Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK. She holds a Ph.D. in Microelectronics and VLSI Systems from IIT Hyderabad and an M.Tech in VLSI Systems from NIT Nagaland, graduating with First Class with Distinction. With experience as an Intel Ph.D. Research Fellow and roles at DRDO and the Indian Academy of Sciences, she combines academic excellence with entrepreneurial expertise to drive innovation at SmartKosh Technologies.
In the recent interaction with Mandvi Singh, Managing Editor, siliconindia, Dr. Rashi Dutt shared his insights IoT-Enabled Real-Time Analytics for Battery Efficiency.
The EV and battery industries are witnessing exponential growth both at the national and international level. Within a year, alone, nearly a million electric vehicles came into the market in nine months, breaking a new global record. It is anticipated that this will continue; the Economic Survey expects that the EV sector will grow with a CAGR of 49 percent.
India's Battery Revolution
In addition to EVs, the battery market is growing at a rapid pace and is diversified by various applications across multiple industries. Among the key trends that would be tracked is advanced chemistry cells. As we know that lithium ion, lead acid batteries, rule the current market and the upcoming future.
The newer chemistries in the form of sodium-ion, calcium-ion, lithium-air, lithium-sulfur, and solid-state batteries are also gaining acceptance. Advanced chemistries offer the potential for lower cost and higher performance and are critical to the future of EVs and stationary storage solutions.
To spur the development of these advanced chemistries, the Indian government has announced the Production Linked Incentive scheme for advanced chemistry storage with a massive 180 billion rupees. This would reduce India's dependence on lithium, which is not very domestically available, by promoting alternative battery technologies. This would position India well on the global battery and electric vehicle landscape, by dealing with the demand for greater capacity in battery production as well as driving innovation through the adoption of advanced chemistries.
No doubt, competition is the catalyst for innovation and growth, and companies like SmartKosh are overwhelmed by the demands created by companies like Ola and Uber (using EVs and batteries) significant players that are partners to large manufacturers. However, SMEs like SmartKosh face major competition from global companies like Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, and NXP present in India, including the startups contributing to the EV and battery sectors. The international giants like Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics and NXP are the companies dealing in the same type of space for battery management systems. So, such diversified kind of environment allows them to grow profoundly, alongside the current existing services or products entities. Doing so, they dream of a symbiotic coexistence between established companies and startups, working towards collective industrial growth.
In the context of batteries, there is a significant potential for sustainability within the supply chain. A critical focus is to finding ways to implement second-life usage for batteries and reduce e-waste. We should emphasize on improving battery lifespan, which will help cut down both costs and e-waste.
One major challenge we face is the development of an AI-powered battery management system. Many existing AI software solutions rely on underlying hardware that is highly energy-consuming, so our goal is to embed sustainability within our product and process from the outset. By focusing on sustainability, SMEs will largely contribute to a greener future and boost the battery management system industry.
AI-Powered System-on-Chip Solutions for Advanced Battery Management
AI-powered system-on-chip technology offers significant potential for advancing battery management systems. With the direct integration of AI capabilities into hardware, this system-on-chip solution can optimize battery performance, extend its lifespan, and improve overall efficiency.
One of the key features of the AI-powered system-on-chip solutions is adaptability in evolving battery chemistries and emerging technology. Future-proofing keeps the hardware relevant and current with the new innovations in battery technology. For instance, in industries where battery life and performance are critical such as drones and electric cars AI-powered system-on-chip solutions can increase energy efficiency, thus long flight times and extended drive ranges.
Apart from that, the system-on-chip solutions can help in improving more complex AI algorithms for predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and optimization of charging strategies, thus providing a complete digital mixed-signal design technique and achieving what industries have been asking for as it moves towards powerful and efficient hardware to accommodate AI applications.
Strategies for Fabless Semiconductor Companies
As a Fabless VLSI company, the semiconductor supply chain is quite challenging due to the complex ecosystem and because of the limited domestic manufacturing capabilities. Companies can therefore use the following strategies to address these challenges:
Government Initiatives:
Global Partnerships:
Build a strong domestic ecosystem:
By effectively combining all these strategies, Fabless semiconductor companies can overcome the risk of supply chains, avoid reliance on foreign suppliers, and position themselves well for long-term growth and success.
Navigating the IoT Landscape
Data privacy and security are among the primary concerns of the IoT sector, considering the massive data collected through IoT-enabled systems. Companies operating in this sector employ stringent measures to safeguard user data, including sophisticated encryption methods, informed consent, and periodical audits. Such practices ensure safe collection, transmission, handling, and usage of user data. It also needs to maintain the privacy and security of the data through compliance with laws and regulations like the Personal Data Protection Act of India.
Approximately 7% of the Indian population still lacks access to energy and internet. To mitigate this challenge, startups, industries, and the government are collaborating to enlarge digital infrastructure and connectivity. Initiatives like the Digital India program have significantly increased internet connectivity in rural areas, getting digital services to a larger population.
A multi-faceted approach would be needed to tackle the challenges of IoT connectivity in remote locations, especially those for applications such as solar power storage and rural EVs. Though government initiatives such as Digital India and broadband highway projects are showing an improvement in connectivity, a lot more is required for rural penetration. Public-private partnerships can help in reducing the digital divide and ensuring wider acceptance of IoT solutions across remote regions.
Looking Ahead
Balancing technological advancement with affordability is significant challenge, particularly in emerging markets. Companies can overcome this by utilizing local talent, employing cost-effective approaches such as remote work, and leveraging government incentives. Investing in local talent development and fostering a robust domestic ecosystem reduces costs, accelerates innovation, and allows technology to be more accessible to a wider population.
In the recent interaction with Mandvi Singh, Managing Editor, siliconindia, Dr. Rashi Dutt shared his insights IoT-Enabled Real-Time Analytics for Battery Efficiency.
The EV and battery industries are witnessing exponential growth both at the national and international level. Within a year, alone, nearly a million electric vehicles came into the market in nine months, breaking a new global record. It is anticipated that this will continue; the Economic Survey expects that the EV sector will grow with a CAGR of 49 percent.
India's Battery Revolution
In addition to EVs, the battery market is growing at a rapid pace and is diversified by various applications across multiple industries. Among the key trends that would be tracked is advanced chemistry cells. As we know that lithium ion, lead acid batteries, rule the current market and the upcoming future.
The newer chemistries in the form of sodium-ion, calcium-ion, lithium-air, lithium-sulfur, and solid-state batteries are also gaining acceptance. Advanced chemistries offer the potential for lower cost and higher performance and are critical to the future of EVs and stationary storage solutions.
Advanced chemistries offer the potential for lower cost and higher performance and are critical to the future of EVs and stationary storage solutions.
To spur the development of these advanced chemistries, the Indian government has announced the Production Linked Incentive scheme for advanced chemistry storage with a massive 180 billion rupees. This would reduce India's dependence on lithium, which is not very domestically available, by promoting alternative battery technologies. This would position India well on the global battery and electric vehicle landscape, by dealing with the demand for greater capacity in battery production as well as driving innovation through the adoption of advanced chemistries.
No doubt, competition is the catalyst for innovation and growth, and companies like SmartKosh are overwhelmed by the demands created by companies like Ola and Uber (using EVs and batteries) significant players that are partners to large manufacturers. However, SMEs like SmartKosh face major competition from global companies like Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, and NXP present in India, including the startups contributing to the EV and battery sectors. The international giants like Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics and NXP are the companies dealing in the same type of space for battery management systems. So, such diversified kind of environment allows them to grow profoundly, alongside the current existing services or products entities. Doing so, they dream of a symbiotic coexistence between established companies and startups, working towards collective industrial growth.
In the context of batteries, there is a significant potential for sustainability within the supply chain. A critical focus is to finding ways to implement second-life usage for batteries and reduce e-waste. We should emphasize on improving battery lifespan, which will help cut down both costs and e-waste.
One major challenge we face is the development of an AI-powered battery management system. Many existing AI software solutions rely on underlying hardware that is highly energy-consuming, so our goal is to embed sustainability within our product and process from the outset. By focusing on sustainability, SMEs will largely contribute to a greener future and boost the battery management system industry.
AI-Powered System-on-Chip Solutions for Advanced Battery Management
AI-powered system-on-chip technology offers significant potential for advancing battery management systems. With the direct integration of AI capabilities into hardware, this system-on-chip solution can optimize battery performance, extend its lifespan, and improve overall efficiency.
One of the key features of the AI-powered system-on-chip solutions is adaptability in evolving battery chemistries and emerging technology. Future-proofing keeps the hardware relevant and current with the new innovations in battery technology. For instance, in industries where battery life and performance are critical such as drones and electric cars AI-powered system-on-chip solutions can increase energy efficiency, thus long flight times and extended drive ranges.
Apart from that, the system-on-chip solutions can help in improving more complex AI algorithms for predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and optimization of charging strategies, thus providing a complete digital mixed-signal design technique and achieving what industries have been asking for as it moves towards powerful and efficient hardware to accommodate AI applications.
Strategies for Fabless Semiconductor Companies
As a Fabless VLSI company, the semiconductor supply chain is quite challenging due to the complex ecosystem and because of the limited domestic manufacturing capabilities. Companies can therefore use the following strategies to address these challenges:
Government Initiatives:
- Utilize government-backed schemes like the design-linked incentive scheme to obtain financial support and infrastructure for IP development and system design.
- Encourage government efforts to attract semiconductor manufacturing companies to India to establish a robust domestic supply chain.
Global Partnerships:
- Partnering with worldwide semiconductor leaders such as ARM and NXP to access leading-edge IP and design technology.
- Use global foundries and fabrication services to produce chips, especially for complex and high-performance products.
Build a strong domestic ecosystem:
- Foster an exciting semiconductor ecosystem in India by supporting startups, research institutions, and academic programs focused on semiconductor design and manufacturing.
- Invest in talent development and skill development to create a skilled workforce capable of driving innovation in the semiconductor industry.
By effectively combining all these strategies, Fabless semiconductor companies can overcome the risk of supply chains, avoid reliance on foreign suppliers, and position themselves well for long-term growth and success.
Navigating the IoT Landscape
Data privacy and security are among the primary concerns of the IoT sector, considering the massive data collected through IoT-enabled systems. Companies operating in this sector employ stringent measures to safeguard user data, including sophisticated encryption methods, informed consent, and periodical audits. Such practices ensure safe collection, transmission, handling, and usage of user data. It also needs to maintain the privacy and security of the data through compliance with laws and regulations like the Personal Data Protection Act of India.
Approximately 7% of the Indian population still lacks access to energy and internet. To mitigate this challenge, startups, industries, and the government are collaborating to enlarge digital infrastructure and connectivity. Initiatives like the Digital India program have significantly increased internet connectivity in rural areas, getting digital services to a larger population.
A multi-faceted approach would be needed to tackle the challenges of IoT connectivity in remote locations, especially those for applications such as solar power storage and rural EVs. Though government initiatives such as Digital India and broadband highway projects are showing an improvement in connectivity, a lot more is required for rural penetration. Public-private partnerships can help in reducing the digital divide and ensuring wider acceptance of IoT solutions across remote regions.
Looking Ahead
Balancing technological advancement with affordability is significant challenge, particularly in emerging markets. Companies can overcome this by utilizing local talent, employing cost-effective approaches such as remote work, and leveraging government incentives. Investing in local talent development and fostering a robust domestic ecosystem reduces costs, accelerates innovation, and allows technology to be more accessible to a wider population.
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