Articles by Will Zell

About Will Zell

Will Zell is an entrepreneur and investor with a passion for wireless power. Although a firm believer in the power of technology, Will understands that business is conducted between people and he is devoted to operating Nikola Labs with the highest level of integrity.

Predictive Maintenance Can Bolster IoT for Smart Cities

Use cases abound for everything from installing a myriad of sensors in urban areas, to monitoring everything from traffic patterns to air quality, to the health of critical infrastructure. A key challenge of installing strain sensors on a bridge or highway overpass is sourcing the power required for them to operate. Nikola Labs technology can address this challenge by harvesting power from nearby power lines, radio and TV towers, and cell phone communication hubs. When consistent power is provided, long-lived sensors can provide the rich steams of data necessary to generate PdM insights; thereby avoiding catastrophic failures and permitting municipal departments to focus their attention on infrastructure most in need of repair.