ABSTRACT
The fifth-generation mobile network (5G) acts as a stepping stone for using the Internet of Things (IoT) to its full potential. IoT involves the connection of a multitude of physical smart devices that are capable of sensing and sharing data over the internet. These smart devices range from small sensors to a large number of cars and consumer electronics items. From a 5G perspective, all these smart devices must have fast data transfer and low latency. However, satisfying these requirements results in a frequent discharge of batteries of the connected smart objects. The recharging and replacing of the batteries is very cumbersome, especially if the devices are located in a critical environment. Thus there is an urgent need for a technology that expends much less energy while maintaining the desired data transfer rate. One of the solutions to this is the ambient backscatter communication system (ABCS). ABCS works by backscattering the radio frequency (RF) signals that are present around us in the form of TV, FM and Wi-Fi signals, etc., and powering the IoT nodes using this ambient energy. This chapter describes the fundamentals of backscatter communication (BackCom) and broad areas of research in ABCS. The developing BackCom system, its applications and open research issues are also discussed.
