Energous visited CES 2015 this year to show off their WattUp system for wireless charging mobile devices. By wireless charging though, Energous does not mean a charging pad that you have put your device on. While convenient, charging pads still limit the availability of mobile devices. The Energous WattUp system actually charges devices over-the-air up to 20 feet away from their most recent router. To showcase the technology, Energous setup a suite at CES 2015 to serve as a typical home with founder Michael Leabman moving around while charging his devices.
The WattUp system uses a mix of RF signals and Bluetooth, along with the company’s own technology, to deliver power over-the-air. The Bluetooth signal is used to detect devices that come within range of the routers and establish a connection. The WattUp devices then use RF signals on WiFi bands. The signals get converted into DC power by a chip that can be included in a mobile device. For purposes of the demonstration, Energous had to use some special cases with modified battery packs, but it was easy to see how the chips could be integrated into future devices.
One of the goals that Energous is trying to achieve with its system is the ability for users to move around freely. The demonstration showed this capability with Leabman able to move around the “home” and the energy routers automatically handing off charging as he moved through different zones. The system is also able to do things like limit who or what devices can tap into the power “grid” and how power is doled out, say to those devices reporting low battery conditions first.
As far as the energy “router” goes, users may not have to pepper their homes with the devices. Instead, they could be built into existing goods that are connected to the wired power system. For instance, a refrigerator could have one built in to cover the kitchen while the bedroom could have a lamp with a built-in transmitter.
Although Energous is still in the early stages of developing the technology, they are working aggressively to line-up support for it in hopes it can hit the market by 2016. Key to this is a strategy built on licensing deals instead of trying to build it out on their own. By the middle of 2015, Energous hopes to have a reference design ready for manufacturers to use to start figuring out how to incorporate the technology into their own products.
Check back for more coverage of CES 2015 to see what other future technologies are emerging now.
source: Engadget
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