Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Forbes Smart Dust Smart Sensors
Forbes Smart Dust Smart Sensors
Jon MarkmanNewsletter
Investing
Analyzing tech stocks through the prism of cultural change.
Computers as small and light as particles of dust are moving out of the
realm of science fiction, according to a recent Wall Street Journal story.
Much of the recent push is about timing. Developers are excited about
advancements in sensors, the Internet of Things, fifth-generation wireless
networks and edge computing. Connections are getting so fast and
networks are so powerful, building nanoscale computers finally makes
sense.
• And cities will be able to keep track of vehicle traffic and people flows.
Given the possibilities, is it not a huge surprise that military interests were
at the forefront of early smart dust development …
The Rand Corporation and the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency
began working on microelectromechanical systems way back in 1992. Five
years later, DARPA funded the research of Kris Pister, a professor of
electrical engineering at UC Berkeley.
Right now, the issue is power. Getting all those sensors juiced up — and
staying connected to the network — seems to defy the laws of physics.
Other firms have tried to harness energy from vibration, light, magnetism,
temperature and chemical reactions. Their success has varied. RFID tags,
for example, get their energy from a base station. As the reader accesses the
tag, it comes alive with bags of useful information.
Passive Wi-Fi uses backscatter communication to transmit power to
existing Wi-Fi chipsets. University of Washington engineers were able to
shoot power through walls to off-the-shelf smartphones from 30 feet away.
One of the best ways for investors to play the ultra-low-power trend
is Analog Devices.
SmartMesh networks make good economic sense for companies that push
computing to the edge of their networks.
Over the longer term, Analog continues to work toward smart dust. Dust
Networks, the company founded by Kris Pister, was acquired by Linear
Technology in 2011. Today, the IP lives on as DustCloud, an Analog Devices
subsidiary.
Analog Devices had $5.1 billion in sales during 2017, an increase of 49%
over 2016. Despite this, like other semiconductor stocks, it has been mired
in a global-trade-induced funk. Trade groups and investors fear the worst is
yet to come as the trade war escalates.
Analog trades at only 13x forward earnings. The market capitalization is has
fallen to $30 billion. Given the outlook for innovative products, like smart
dust, this valuation seems low.
Investors can buy the stock into further weakness over the next few
months.