In a first of a kind device that will help us get rid of the tangle of cords: a company called Wi-Charge says it can power up mobile devices through the air. Another company Powermat (now used by Duracell and GM) uses a conducting mat to replace these wires, and in effect the company is also working to charge electric cars, but Wi-Charge is somewhat different. It needs no mat and can follow you around the room, like WiFi.
A power “transmitter” is suspended from a high point in the room and this is connected to an existing electrical outlet. The Wi-Charge transmitter then generates a narrow beam of infrared light which hits a photovoltaic (light) receiver installed on a mobile device, like your wireless home speakers (yay!) or a cellular phone.
The receiver then converts the light energy into electric energy.
Even if you walk around the boardroom or are pacing the kitchen the Wi-Charge beam will follow. See it working in a restaurant setting below.
Wi-Charge is being developed by entrepreneur Victor Vaisleib and scientist Ortal Alpert, and they are funded by some well-knowns in the VC market including Terra Ventures Partners operating in the clean tech sphere.
For those worried about coming into contact with the ”power” beam, the technology is not harmful to people staying in the room, the developers say, and the beam stops transmitting anyway if any object comes between the receiver-seeking Wi-Charge beam and the transmitter.
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