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Yesterday, we told you guys about a cool smartphone case that proposed to “capture” the energy outputted by your phone and convert it into usable DC energy. The idea is cool, sure, but many of you questioned the practical purpose, technical validity and even whether the technology exists.
Well, we can tell you the technology does exist. RF energy harvesting is a real thing, so there should be no question in that regard. It’s the application of said technology that makes the difference between revolutionary invention and wet dream.
Energous‘ forthcoming product — dubbed WattUp — is of the former variety, we believe. Like yesterday’s featured case, WattUp aims to capture RF energy and convert it into usable DC power, only it’s not claiming to be sucking up your phone’s excess power for its source of RF goodness. Instead, you set up a unit whose sole dedicated purpose is to blast RF energy, and your device — perhaps one with a proper case — captures that pocket of energy to be used for charging the device.
You can see this in action in the demo video above, where the gracious CEO demonstrates a cellphone that is being charged wirelessly, and without a charging pad, to boot. Here’s a quick explanation of it in layman’s terms, if you prefer:
WattUp™ uses pocket-forming technology to accurately direct energy to the receiver. By dynamically adjusting the shape and content of the RF waves they can be directed to a specific location in 3D space. There, the energy is gathered by the receiver’s metamaterial array where WattUp™ ASICs convert the RF signal to DC current, delivering a charge.
Needing a case for this sort of thing isn’t the most ideal, we’d say, but it’s what the company is doing in the area of logistics that has us most excited. Their aim is to get RF harvesting systems inside your tablets, smartphones and smart watches as standard, and they claim they’re already in talks with major OEMs to make that happen.
It’s also worth noting that the approach is two-pronged, as they are also exploring razor-thin units that can be put inside televisions, refrigerator doors or what have you. The hope is that you can have a home or office where needing bulky cables and wireless charging pads are a thing of the past. Simply walk inside, and you’re juicing up. How cool is that?
Oh, and if you had any concerns regarding its potential impact on health, WattUp maintains that their system is no more harmful than wearing a smartphone in your breastplate pocket all day long. Take that for what you will.
Unfortunately we still seem to be a moderate stretch away from seeing this thing seed into the market. The technology isn’t expected to be ready for about another year and a half, and it might be longer still before we see any OEMs implement it in a meaningful way. Either way, this is the sort of stuff we need to mitigate the downsides of modern battery technology while we wait for other breakthroughs, and we can’t wait to see what happens next!
[via Yahoo]
As someone who has stock in this company, I sure hope they make it big!
this is sickkk! :D
This type of stuff has been in the news a lot this last week. Also researchers at a university found that regular wifi routers can do the same thing with a slight software tweak and there was also a special phone case that claimed to receive charge wireless from a router too on kickstarter or similar crowdfunding site.
Wow that’s phenomenal.
Funny how the CEO never makes any mention of EIRP figures. Modern smartphones need at least 1W of continuous power to charge properly. This system will need more than that due to system inefficiencies. I don’t trust that level of power anywhere near my man jewels, focused or otherwise.
“Currently charging” at 0mW AKA not charging!
Innovation changes the game. Always. 20,000 years ago. 1,000. 10 months, tomorrow… It does not matter. This is not science fiction. A new future. A world that will be created.
Imagine what we will be able to achieve.
The time has come, the time is now! Help these guys who want reexamine and re-invent the real Tesla dream of wireless power. Come one people, GET involved!
http://igg.me/at/globalenergytransmission/x
It seems that charging tech is quickly outpacing battery tech in regards to its degradation. We’re seeing more ways to charge a device easier and quicker but we’re not seeing the degradation of these batteries improving vastly.
Gives people something to bring out next year. I’m sure in a few years we’ll see the article. Feels like I’m glancing in the future when I hear about things that are coming out within the coming few years.
Another competitor in this field. Exciting. There is already a similar product (not for sale yet) that claims go be able to use the same tech to charge your phone in 2 hours. More the better
Anyone else notice the 0mw notification at the bottom of the phone?
Quote: “Oh, and if you had any concerns regarding its potential impact on health, WattUp maintains that their system is no more harmful than wearing a smartphone in your breastplate pocket all day long. Take that for what you will.”
OK, maybe no big deal for one device. But a household full of devices doing this, then what???