Smart dust is turning the world into a giant sensor

The article discusses the emergence of smart dust—networks of sub-millimeter wireless sensors known as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)—as a transformative technology in scaling the Internet of Things (IoT). Coined in 1997 by UC Berkeley professor Kristofer Pister, smart dust consists of tiny motes smaller than a grain of salt that autonomously sense environmental factors like temperature, humidity, light, sound, and chemicals. These devices can compute, communicate via radio frequency transceivers, and operate without external power by harvesting energy from ambient sources such as light, vibrations, or electromagnetic fields. Their miniature size and ability to be deployed in vast numbers enable extensive, scalable sensing networks that make environments—from cities to bodies and machines—self-aware and deeply connected. Smart dust works similarly to conventional IoT devices but at a microscopic scale, with each mote containing built-in circuits for sensing and data processing. They collaborate to collect and transmit data to central hubs, often protected by polymer coatings