Intel Edges Closer to Wireless Charging

In a continuation of an MIT project last year, Intel demonstrated on Thursday that charging your devices without plugging them in is possible. In a demonstration in San Francisco, Intel showed the potential of wireless power transmission by powering a 60 Watt light bulb from a distance of three feet. Not only did it succeed, but it succeeded with high efficiency. They lost about a quarter of the initial energy during the transfer which, according to Intel's chief technology officer Justin Rattner, was "the most striking part about it: transmitting 60 watts at 75 percent efficiency over several feet... The power pack for your laptop isn't that efficient."

Wireless energy transmission uses electric coils that, by resonating at the same frequency, can transmit power to each other. The biggest problem is power loss over distance. Another obstacle to overcome is the size of the coils - the ones used in the MIT and Intel demonstrations were far too big for practical applications. According to Rattner Intel is currently working on a laptop that can accept wireless power. One of the problems in that project is preventing the electromagnetic field from interfering with the computer's components.

Intel's vision for the future of wireless power transmission technology, which MIT calls WiTricity, includes houses equipped with a central transmitter. Smaller transmitters could be ubiquitous and practically invisible around the house, being installed in tables, shelves, etc. Mobile devices and laptops could then be charged simply by setting them down. Once this technology is mastered along with kinetic energy batteries, the worry of "low battery" could quickly become a thing of the past.

[via CNN]

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