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Nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) typically have limited power supply and networks are often expected to be functional for extended periods. Therefore, the minimization of energy consumption and the maximization of network lifetime are key objectives in WSN. This paper proposes an overlay, energy optimized, sensor network to extend the functional lifetime of an energy-intensive sensor network application. The overlay network consists of additional nodes that exploit recent advances in energy harvesting and wake-up radio technologies, coupled with an application specific, complementary, ultra-low power sensor. The experimental results and simulations demonstrate that this approach can ensure survivability of energy-inefficient sensor networks. Simulating applications using energy-intensive video cameras and air quality sensors, combined with the proposed overlayed ultra-low power sensor …