wirelesspower
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MIT jumps straight to wirelessly powering multiple devices
Ah, wireless power. One of those mythical mysteries that are far more likely to remain "something to strive for" rather than "the next big thing." Oh sure, we've got Palm's Touchstone and the Powermat, but until we can hang a 50-inch plasma from our bedroom ceiling and power it up without a single wire, we'll remain firmly unsatisfied. Thankfully for those of us in that camp, MIT exists, and a few of the school's best and brightest are toiling around the clock in order to develop a technology that would power not one, but multiple devices sans cabling. Thanks to the wonders of coupling resonance, we're told that the "overall power transfer efficiency of the wireless system could be increased by powering multiple devices simultaneously, rather than each device individually." In theory, the system could be implemented by "embedding a large copper coil in the wall or ceiling of a room," but there's obviously no set time frame for release. We'll be looking for you geeks at CES next year, okay?
Wireless power takes another baby step at CES 2010 with Qi standard
It's our third year visiting with Fulton Innovation and the eCoupled wireless power booth at CES, and once again there's significant progress to be seen -- this time in the form of actual shipping products like the Case-mate Hug and the Dell Latitude Z. Fulton's really pushing the industry standard angle with eCoupled -- it's a founding member of the Wireless Power Consortium, which is just a few months away from finalizing a standard based on eCoupled called Qi. Qi's going to be backed by some pretty big names: Motorola, Nokia, RIM, Energizer, Duracell, Samsung, and Philips are all members of the WPC, along with several others, and the goal is for all this stuff to seamlessly play together. Fulton had some pretty hot demos to show off of the standard in action, including a Toyota Avalon interior with functional spots for two phones, a GPS, a Bluetooth headset, and a netbook, a slick first-class airline seat with a charging table, and a hotel room with several power points -- including a slick motorized dock built into the desk for the Dell. Our favorite demo, however, was a wall sconce: an eCoupled point in the wall was used to power a light fixture, which was then swapped for a digital photo frame. Nifty stuff, indeed. Still, the big challenge for Fulton and the WPC is going to be actually shipping a bunch of these products this year -- standards are nice, but without gear in hand they're meaningless, and the rival PowerMat crew has been making a pretty big push of its own. We'll see what happens in the next few months -- and how much has changed at CES 2011. Check a couple videos after the break! %Gallery-82951%
Fulton Innovation shows off mid-range eCoupled wireless power
Fulton Innovation has made some fairly impressive demonstrations of its eCoupled wireless power technology (along with a few less than impressive ones), but most of those have left little space between the power source and the device being powered. As you can see above, however, that's now changed in pretty a big way, with Fulton taking to YouTube to show off a new mid-range inductive power system. While it's obviously not quite ready for home use, this slightly unnerving contraption does indeed appear to work as promised, with it able to power a 12 watt lamp at a distance of 35 inches, or light up an LED at various points in between. Head on past the break to check it out this bit of black magic for yourself. [Thanks, Brandon]
Swarm robot project sounds ominous, uses open source
Why would you want to build a 100-strong swarm of mini robots? Well, aside from having them as your minions, you might be able to learn about "artificial self-organization," and "control in large robotic groups," which should come in useful during the inevitable robot insurrection. The swarm robot project, undertaken by the Universities of Stuttgart and Karlsruhe in Germany, aims to produce mini drones that can communicate with one another to avoid collisions, while keeping to a volume of less than three centimeters cubed. Built using open source software and hardware (full list of components is available under the GPL), the latest prototype, titled Jasmine III, achieves those goals while also being able to run "perpetually" thanks to a wireless charging platform. You can see it in close-up after the break, or hit the read link for all the geeky details.
Nokia plugs itself into the Wireless Power Consortium
The Wireless Power Consortium has already managed to attract some pretty big players in the industry (including Philips, Sanyo and Duracell), but it's now bolstered its roster with one of its biggest heavyweights yet by announcing that Nokia has signed on as a full member. Of course, Nokia isn't making any firm promises about incorporating the Consortium's Qi wireless power standard into its products just yet, but it does say that the technology "carries significant potential to enhance consumer experience of battery charging," and that it "aims to meet these consumer expectations." For its part, the Wireless Power Consortium is unsurprisingly thrilled to have Nokia on board, noting that the move "significantly expands the potential market traction of the Qi wireless charging standard."
Sony dives into wireless power game, makes it way more interesting
We've been watching wireless power startups spin their wheels for years on end, and while we've netted a few contact-charging solutions along the way, there's still a dire need for bona fide wireless power. A most unlikely candidate has just shown up to deliver that very need, with Sony's wireless power supply system reportedly pushing some 60 watts of juice across 50 centimeters (nearly two feet) of crisp, cool air. Currently, the magnetic resonance setup is running at about 60 percent efficiency, but we're sure the engineers behind the breakthrough aren't satisfied yet. So, should we expect to see a prototype BRAVIA HDTV at CES 2010 that needs no AC cable to function? Please Sony, say yes. Say it emphatically. [Via Impress]
Video: WiTricity is back, promises wireless power within 18 months
What started out as an MIT project two years ago has now progressed into a full-fledged company -- ladies and gentlemen, meet WiTricity Corp. Auntie Beeb (that's the BBC for you Yanks) has grabbed the firm's CEO Eric Giler to discuss some pretty aggressive plans for bringing wireless power to the masses. Yes, we're talking actual through-the-air wireless as opposed to something like Palm's Touchstone, which requires physical contact between charger and chargee. Based on magnetic induction, the magical technology is apparently mature enough to be deployed in the relatively near future, and if all goes to plan, "near future" could translate into "18 months from now." Also of note, Intel is hard at work developing the original concept, and if the parallel engineering of the same idea by two companies isn't enough to get your skepticism dialed down and your browser to the video past the break, what is?
Nokia hopes to one-up Touchstone, harness wireless power for "ambient" phone charging
Like a page torn right out of the government's top secret files on Nikola Tesla, a Nokia research team is working on a wireless energy harvesting mechanism, which sucks up all that cancer-giving RF floating through the air and turns it into electrical current. Their goal is about to capture about 50 milliwatts of power for "ambient charging" -- which would at least be enough to top off the battery while the phone is off. Unfortunately, right now their current prototypes are only pulling down 3 to 5 milliwatts, and many in the industry are convinced it can't be done (don't worry, Nokia, that's just The Man, keeping you down). To be honest, we're not totally sure were comfortable with the thought that there's enough RF floating around to make this even theoretically possible, but as we slowly come to grips with our own mortality, we imagine we'd gladly pay an extra $70 or so for the privilege of never having to charge our phone again. Nokia itself isn't over promising: they plan on supplementing this juice with solar power, and thinks it'll be three or four years until it makes its way into a handset -- probably around the time your existing iPhone contract dries up.[Thanks, CanisMinor]
Palm Pre Touchstone to be an entire product line, not just a charging dock
Although Palm's reps basically stick to the same script when giving out those lengthy Pre walkthrough demos, every now and again they'll let something interesting slip -- like the fact that the Touchstone inductive charging dock is just the first product in an entire line of Touchstone wireless products. It's not clear if that simply means that "Touchstone" will be Palm's wireless power branding, or if there will be Touchstone products that do more than simply charge devices, but we're certainly eager to find out more -- and hopefully soon. Video clip after the break.[Via PreThinking]
Fulton Innovation has a wireless power coming out party at CES
It was just a short year ago that we went to Fulton Innovation's tiny booth at CES and failed to get a working wireless power demo, but a lot's happened since then -- the company is at CES 2009 in force, with a much larger, swanker booth, partners like Energizer and Motorola demoing working products, and tons of working real-world examples of the tech in action. We were particularly taken with the modded Dish DVR that automatically turned itself on and off when the remote was placed on top of it to charge up -- oh, and the remote featured super-capacitors instead of batteries that charge fully in 10 seconds. There were also a ton of cell phones (including a modded iPhone, of course), new cooking demos featuring a blender, and a super cool Leggett & Pratt power tool charging workbench. Extremely impressive, all in all -- we're starting to think that 2009 could be the year that wireless power could really take off. Gallery below, video after the break!P.S.- We asked if Fulton had anything to do with the Palm Pre's sexy Touchstone wireless charger, but the guys in the booth didn't know. We'll let you know if we find anything out.%Gallery-41237%
Powermat hands-on
Remember the Powermat? Unlike other induction-based "wireless power" contraptions we've seen, this one came out earlier this year as total vaporware and has now resurfaced as a collaborative effort by Michigan-based HoMedics Powermat North America (HPNA). We finally got a chance to see it work in person and, much to our surprise, it seems to have delivered on its promised... at least in part. We saw three pads that touched base with six different mediators for charging various cell phones, laptops, and handheld games. The devices magnetically "lock on" to the mats and a light comes on to indicate its working. The rep told us devices charge just as fast with the mat as they would via the traditional "plug" method, but it's not like we waited around long enough to see for ourselves. No price or date, but we're a lot more excited about it knowing this thing might actually work. We're hearing some more interesting developments will be shown off later this week, from both Powermat as well as a few of the other companies here showcasing wireless power technology, which we'll be keeping an eye out for. Hit up the gallery for some sexy recharging imagery. %Gallery-40791%
Mojo Mobility's induction charging tech: best thing to happen to discs since Tron
We are absolutely, completely ready for wireless induction charging to make it big. Have you seen our gadget charging station? It's like some Lovecraftian nightmare; our latest intern went over to plug in his BlackBerry two days ago and we haven't seen him since. For years we've been getting teased with limited, proprietary solutions (mostly for sweaty videogame controllers) but we seem to be firmly and disappointingly locked in the competing standards phase. While we hate to see yet another contestant enter the fray, Mojo Mobility Inc. might just have a winner with its Near Field Power technique, relying on thin, inexpensive coiled discs to both send and receive up to 4 watts of power with 70 percent efficiency. Unlike the competition no exposed contacts are required, and while it looks like you'll still need to place the device onto a charging pad, with multiple transmission discs that pad could charge all your gadgets at once. Mojo plans to supply the receiving discs to battery and device manufacturers in the near future, and to that we can only say hurry up. Think of the interns!
Researchers create wirelessly-powered robot swarm
Wireless power has come a long way from Nikola Tesla's early ruminations on the matter, and it looks like some researchers from Duke and Georgia Tech are now taking the idea to its logical, robot-powering conclusion. While their setup (thankfully) isn't yet able to power robots beyond the confines of the Q L-C resonator-equipped table, it does appear to work remarkably well in that limited proof-of-concept, with five bots each equipped with a non-resonant pickup coil able to follow a path around the table, or simply sit still to recharge their batteries. They were even able to power an LED light with the system for good measure. Natually, they eventually hope to expand the system to power larger swarms of robots and do away with the need for batteries altogether. Yeah, that's a good idea. Head on past the break for a video.
Intel demos a wireless power broadcasting system, villagers terrified
We've seen a number of wireless power systems come and go, but for all the hype-filled bombast and occasional working demo, the tech just hasn't gone anywhere -- but even with that background, Intel's demo of a wireless power system that can broadcast 60 watts of power up to three feet at IDF with 75 percent efficiency has us giddy with excitement. The system works using essentially the same magnetic induction principle as all the others, but Intel's seems the furthest along, and the company hopes to one day be able to charge laptops with it. Yeah, we'll take three.Read - NYT articleRead - Pictures from the presentation
Powermat promises wireless power for the masses, delivers nothing
We've seen quite a few induction-based "wireless power" systems make the scene, and while the idea is interesting both in theory and prototype, actually getting it to market has proven to be quite difficult, with some casualties along the way. That's why we're a little wary of new claims by Israel's Powermat, Ltd. that it's ready to go with tech that'll turn "any surface" into a power source. Well, that, and the PR image they sent us has the iPod charging screen Photoshopped onto every device pictured, including a first-gen RAZR and an N95. Oh, and they claim that embedding PowerMat in sheetrock eliminates the need for outlets entirely, but we're not at all sure how that's supposed to work -- do you have to hold your devices against the wall all night? Add to that the interesting claims that Powermat's tech delivers energy in "real time," and that it "completely eliminates the potential for electrical fires," and we're in full put-up-or-shut-up mode over here. Think you can top the wireless hamburger, Powermat?
MWg and Splashpower team up for wireless charging of smartphones
Mobile & Wireless Group (MWg) and Splashpower have joined hands in an effort to bring wireless charging to the mobile masses. Using electromagnetic induction instead of a traditional plug on the handset, by just dropping -- well, no need to actually drop it -- the handset on a Splashpower pad the built-in inductive charging components in the phone will begin to renew your battery without a need to actually plug it in. The first handsets are due out in the second half of the year and we're positively stoked to see one of these in action.[Via textually.org]
Wirelessly powered Christmas tree: when high-tech meets high-chintz
We're pretty certain we were supposed to be seeing cellphones, DAPs, and medical devices -- you know, gadgets -- rock the PowerCast wireless power system by now, but it looks like the first product off the line to include the tech is this chintzy $395 Christmas tree from Frontgate. The fake tree does indeed feature wireless power for its LED lights, but honestly, if you're moving your tree so much you need it to be wireless, you should really think about getting out of your house more often.[Thanks, Joe]
Seiko Epson, Murata team up on contactless quick charger
Not even a week after startup WiPower boasted about its breakthrough in wireless power, Murata and Seiko Epson have announced plans to "jointly development a non-contact quick charging system." Reportedly, the technology "leverages electromagnetic induction," and both the charging stand and a given mobile device would be "respectively equipped with coils that generate power." As for the production, it sounds like Seiko Epson will hone in on the "transmitting side, or primary side," while Murata "will be involved in the production of the rechargeable Li-ion." The overriding goal is to recharge a handset "in about 10 to 15 minutes in a non-contact manner," which would purportedly push power transmission efficiency from current levels of 30- to 50-percent to nearly 70-percent. Oh, and we've already been assured that these "will not generate heat."
WiPower touts breakthrough in wireless power
While it's far from the first to claim that wireless power is just around the corner, upstart WiPower looks to at least have some numbers to back up its boasting, and it also has the University of Florida in its corner. According to the two, their system not "approaches commercialization," but actually "exceeds the efficiency of most corded chargers." More specifically, they say that, "in a laboratory environment," their system achieves an efficiency of about 68%, a number they think could eventually reach 80%. That's opposed to the median efficiency of 58% found in many corded power supplies today, some of which drop as low as 16%, according to WiPower. While the company isn't quite ready to say exactly how close to commercialization the technology is, it apparently plans up the ante significantly within the next few months, when it says it'll "leapfrog" the competition by demonstrating the system charging a laptop computer.
Loews Regency Hotel gets outfitted with Powermat wireless power
The wireless power business sure seems to be getting crowded these days, with upstart Powermat Ltd. only the latest company promising to free your gadgets from yet another cord. Unlike some similar products, however, Powermat's system looks to actually be ready to charge your devices, with the Loews Regency Hotel Business Center in New York City the first to put it to use. While the company eventually sees its technology being directly integrated into various electronic devices (like every other company), in the meantime you simply hook your device up to a so-called "puck," which in turn wirelessly picks up the signals from the power mat it's placed on. No word on when you'll be able to get a Powermat for yourself, but the company does say the system will be "inexpensive."
