The promise of wireless power

In the past few years, we have experienced a dramatic revolution in the number of electronic devices—cellphones, digital cameras, laptops, etc.— that we use in our everyday lives. Currently, most of these devices are powered by batteries, which need to be recharged very often. This fact has motivated scientists and engineers to explore whether physical principles exist that could enable wireless powering of these kinds of devices. At the recent Intel Developer Forum (IDF), I demonstrated a technology developed at our research lab in Seattle that relies on strongly coupled resonators to wirelessly transmit power for several feet with great efficiency. In the month since IDF, the feedback on wireless power transmission has been extraordinary. Clearly the prospect of cutting cords seems to resonate with people everywhere.... [read full story]