Wireless power pioneer Nikola Labs will launch Vero, the perpetually powered equipment health monitoring system. An industrial internet of things (IIoT) solution, Vero is an out-of-the-box system for manufacturers to closely monitor process critical equipment.
Although the Vero platform will most immediately impact the manufacturing industry, Nikola leaders envision a future in which its unique wireless power will be used across industries.
“Think of how wireless internet revolutionized internet connectivity. Before, the interface was the Ethernet cord. Then, wifi created mobility,” said Will Zell, CEO and co-founder of Nikola Labs. “The transition from wired to wireless power delivery is going to have a similar effect. Twenty or 30 years from now after the revolution has taken its course, wireless power will be part of our everyday lives.”
Nikola Lab’s proprietary Vero platform is entirely wireless and maintenance free, powered by cells that convert radio frequency energy (RF) into usable direct current (DC) power. The wireless energy conversion technique that powers Vero was developed and patented at The Ohio State University, and is licensed exclusively to Nikola Labs.
Perpetually powered wireless sensors save time for facility managers. Once the system is installed, data capture and system maintenance are touch-free.
“Battery-powered sensors have a life of one to three years. That’s OK if you have one device, but imagine if you have a thousand. You’d have to hire a full-time maintenance person who walks around doing nothing but replacing batteries. That’s a nightmare,” Zell said. “The whole promise of the Vero system is you can make maintenance more efficient.”
The Vero system can be customized and retrofitted to any size or age production equipment. Once Nikola Labs installs the system, plant technicians have immediate access to the sensors’ data, and that information is translated into real-world recommendations by a live analyst.
“If I just give you vibration data and you don’t have any context, it’s like handing a patient an EKG report and expecting them to figure out what’s going on with their heart,” Zell explained. “Vero analysts are going to be aware of problems and will proactively recommend action. Nikola Labs brings that expertise.”
The Vero platform allows a manufacturer to shift from a time-based maintenance schedule to a condition-based maintenance schedule. Customers tell Nikola that Vero data is more robust than previous maintenance diagnosis methods.
“No one wants to be walking around taking vibration readings,” Zell said. “Even if they do, those infrequent readings will never generate enough data for maintenance managers to implement a condition-based maintenance schedule.”
Vero is subscription-based and includes a free trial period. Custom design of the system, professional installation and lifetime hardware and software upgrades are included.
“The Nikola Labs team of Columbus-based engineers and innovators will continually develop upgrades to the software and hardware connected to the Vero platform, and it is important to Nikola that innovations remain cost-free to customers,” Zell said. “We are in a time of rapid technological innovation and will roll out new software features every few months, and new hardware every nine months. We want our newest breakthroughs to roll right out to customers.”
