Bid to create wireless charger
Bid to create wireless charger
2008-08-26Newsfeed
Scientists are trying to come up with a way to charge laptops and mobile phones without plugging them into an electrical socket.
Scientists are trying to come up with a way to charge laptops and mobile phones without plugging them into an electrical socket.
Building on work by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), computing giant Intel has demonstrated how to make a 60-watt light bulb glow from an energy source 3ft away using wireless power transmission.
Intel's chief technology officer, Justin Rattner, said: "That to me is the most striking part about it - transmitting 60 watts at 75% efficiency over several feet.
"The power pack for your laptop isn't that efficient ... it's one of those things that's almost too good to be true."
Wireless transmission of electricity uses a process whereby electric coils resonating at the same frequency transmit energy to each other at a distance.
Mr Rattner said Intel is now in the early stages of trying to modify a laptop to accept wireless power. One challenge is figuring out how to prevent the electromagnetic field from interfering with the computer's other parts.
Eventually, a homeowner could attach a large transmitter to a wall and plant many smaller receivers inside nearby tables and chairs and other pieces of furniture, creating the ultimate in recharging convenience.
MIT physics professor Marin Soljacic said researchers have proposed many intriguing ideas for real-world applications, including the possibility of wirelessly powering pacemakers and artificial hearts.
Copyright © The Press Association 2008
