WASHINGTON, D.C. – The concept of charging your mobile devices is about to change now as the Federal Communications Commission (in United States) has approved the first wireless charger that can charge devices up to around 3 feet away.
The WattUp Mid Field transmitter, developed by San Jose startup Energous, is said to be the first commercial wireless charging unit to work at this distance with multiple wireless devices simultaneously: from smartphones to keyboards, headphones and more.
The transmitter, which Energous announced had received FCC approval yesterday (via Engadget), would be a significant improvement over the wireless smartphone chargers currently available, which require that the handset is in direct contact with the unit – typically a circular pad – making them only slightly more convenient than a wired charger.
It converts electricity into radio frequencies, then beams the energy to nearby devices outfitted with a corresponding receiver.
Wireless Charging
Inductive charging or wireless charging uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects through electromagnetic induction. This is usually done with a charging station. Energy is sent through an inductive coupling to an electrical device, which can then use that energy to charge batteries or run the device.
Wireless Charging provides a convenient, safe, and reliable way to charge and power millions of electrical devices at home, in the workplace and in industry.
By eliminating the use of physical connectors and cables, wireless charging provides a number of efficiency, cost and safety advantages over the traditional charging cable.
From smartphones to hand-held industrial devices and heavy-duty equipment applications, wireless power maintains safe, continuous, and reliable transfer of power to ensure all varieties of devices and equipment are charged and ready to go at a moment’s notice.
These ushers in a new era of wireless charging for devices like smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, fitness trackers, earbuds, smart speakers and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0LAzFB0Qh8
Energous will be displaying WattUP next month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which runs from January 9th.
In August this year, an Israeli technology startup – Wi-Charge – developed a remote charging solution that essentially enables mobile and wireless devices to seamlessly recharge themselves without user intervention.
https://youtu.be/hIuDCqUXzVI
Wi-Charge’s technology delivers up to 10W of power over 30 feet to multiple devices via an infrared light beam. This technology allows smart home and mobile devices a source of unlimited and safe power.
