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Dominik Piórkowski @PiorkowskiDomin
Joined October 2014
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Dominik Piórkowski@PiorkowskiDomin
21 Nov 2023
I've developed a GPS-Free Solution for route tracking, which uses machine learning paired with data from motion sensors. This new approach isn't just about counting steps! bit.ly/gps-free_t #EnergyEfficiency #Running #MachineLearning #FitnessTracker

Route Tracking: A GPS-Free Solution

GPS technology has long been the go-to for tracking outdoor activities, but its drawbacks are hard to ignore. Heavy battery consumption, signal loss in urban canyons, and reduced accuracy in tree-h...

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BLE allows configuring events intervals - a key factor for optimizing energy use. By tuning these intervals, it’s possible to cut power consumption even further, which is crucial for a charging-free smartwatch. #BLE #BluetoothLowEnergy #EnergyEfficiency #EmbeddedSystems
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I tested the power consumption of BLE connection events on the STM32WB55. Each event draws only 3.29 mA and lasts about 3 ms—a great result for an ultra-low-power smartwatch design. (See attached image for details.) #BluetoothLowEnergy #STM32 #LowPower
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Dominik Piórkowski retweeted
Andrej Karpathy
@karpathy
16 Oct 2025
TV in the 90s: you turn it on, you watch. TV 2025: - turn on, wait for it to load - popup: TV wants to update, 1.5GB. No. - scroll sideways, find prime video app or etc - popup: now app wants to update, 500MB. No!! - App launching... App loading… - select account screen - 🫠
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When I first tested STOP mode on the MCU (before adding any features), power consumption matched the documentation. But once I added peripherals and some functionality, it jumped to 370 µA. #CortexM #STM32 #LowPower #Firmware
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After deeper reconfiguration of the MCU and peripherals before entering STOP mode, I brought it down to under 20 µA. Lesson learned: just enabling a sleep mode isn’t enough - extra tuning and clever hacks are essential for true low power. #LowPowerDesign #EmbeddedSystems #CortexM
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Bluetooth is another major energy consumer in a smartwatch. Careful planning here can save a lot of power. The first step: use BLE only, never classic Bluetooth. #Smartwatch #BLE #BluetoothLowEnergy #LowPower #WearableTech
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The second step is picking the right chip. After research, I found that Nordic and STM32 offer the lowest-power BLE solutions. Nordic is slightly better on paper, but I chose STM32 as I have more experience with it. #LowPower #STM32 #Nordic
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STM32 also provides a clever setup: two integrated MCUs - one dedicated to BLE, the other for the application. This division helps cut power consumption even further.
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I continue work on my charging-free smartwatch. The next component to tackle is haptic feedback. Two main options: ERM or LRA. LRA uses less power but needs an extra driver, so I decided to go with ERM. #Haptics #LowPower #Smartwatch #ERM
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I tested a 10×2.7 mm ERM motor to measure its current draw at different PWM duty cycles. The results are shown in the attached graphic. For typical smartwatch use, this translates to ~0.35 mAh per day #Haptics #ERM #EccentricRotatingMass #EmbeddedSystems
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I chose an ultra-low power Cortex-M3 80 MHz from STM. It offers several sleep modes to save energy when idle. In my real-life tests, it showed just 3.35 µA in STOP mode and 10.18 mA in RUN mode—excellent results for this project. #LowPower #EmbeddedSystems #CortexM #MCU #STM32
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The processor is another big energy consumer. It must be efficient, yet still strong enough for smartwatch tasks. I realise that w/ good software architecture & optimisation, a powerful CPU isn’t needed. Even a Cortex-M <100 MHz can be enough. #Smartwatch #LowPower #CortexM #MCU
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In my own tests with a 1.3" MIP display, I measured just 3.4 mA during refresh. Given how infrequently refresh is needed, this means it can consume up to 10,000× less energy than OLED!😮 #display #EnergyEfficiency #Hardware #MemoryInPixel
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One of the most power-hungry parts of a smartwatch is the display. To save energy, I chose efficiency over colours. The options were Memory-in-Pixel (MIP) or e-paper - and I went with MIP for its better refresh rate. #smartwatch #LowPower #Hardware #TechResearch
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I selected a Sharp 1.3" Memory-in-Pixel display. The choice was limited - there aren’t many companies manufacturing such screens. #Sharp #MemoryInPixel #Adafruit #EnergyEfficiency
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The real challenge in creating a smartwatch that never needs charging isn’t adding an energy source - it’s drastically reducing power consumption. This requires the most effort and true innovation. #smartwatch #EnergyEfficiency #LowPower
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I’ve already worked out specific ideas for which technologies to use, which components to select, and how to design the software to minimize power use. The next step is to test these solutions in practice. #TechDesign #HardwareDesign #SoftwareOptimization
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I explored three options for energy harvesting—Peltier cells (body heat), solar cells, and piezoelectric harvesters. The conclusion was clear: only solar cells can deliver enough power to keep a smartwatch running. #energyHarvesting #smartwatch
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To make a charging-free smartwatch possible, two things are essential: drastically lowering power consumption and adding an energy source. #chargingFree #smartwatch
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When looking for a smartwatch, I noticed all of them need frequent charging - sometimes every day. That felt wrong for something meant to simplify life. After months of research, I came up with a concept for a watch that doesn’t need charging. Now it’s time to build and test it.
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