Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2012, highlighting early developments in wireless energy transfer by WiTricity. The concepts discussed laid the groundwork for modern wireless charging standards.
An American company has created a wireless system that charges up gadgets seamlessly. The WiTricity system works similarly to the chargers for electric toothbrushes, but over distances of up to eight feet, using repeater pads that send power through the home.
How Magnetic Resonance Works
The makers hope the technology could lead to vacuum cleaners that need no cable and electric cars which you simply park on top of a charger. The WiTricity system uses resonator repeaters which channel magnetic fields through the home to power up batteries via a receiver coil.
The technology could be used for tablets and small games consoles. The American company behind it hopes that gadget companies will make special batteries with receiver coils to work with the system, or create gadgets such as vacuum cleaners built to work wirelessly.
In the future, researchers believe they may be able to charge electronic cars and even heart pumps via a similar connection. The technology has been developed by the WiTricity Corporation in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Expanding Magnetic Induction
Eric Giler, the company’s chief executive, stated that it was based on the technology used to charge electronic toothbrushes, which is known as magnetic induction.
In the case of a toothbrush, the magnetic coil in the base creates a magnetic field which is caught by a partner coil in the brush, causing it to charge up. The WiTricity system channels power from an induction coil to a similar receiving coil inside or attached to a gadget, and power can even bounce around objects in the home.
Traditional induction only works within a short distance because the primary coil is not incredibly strong. WiTricity expands this principle using a wireless connection so that it works up to several feet away, and perhaps even further through the use of repeaters.
A Wire-Free Future
The company signed deals to produce the coils, hoping to remove the pain of having to constantly plug in devices.
Imagine a future in which wireless electricity makes everyday products more convenient, reliable, and environmentally friendly. A future in which mobile phones, game controllers, laptop computers, mobile robots, and even electric vehicles are capable of recharging themselves without ever being plugged in.
Flat screen televisions and digital picture frames could hang on the wall without requiring a wire and plug for power. Industrial systems and medical devices could be made more reliable by eliminating trouble-prone wiring and replaceable batteries.
