Wireless power system shown off (BCBC) {Witricity}

[eppur_se_muova]

By Jonathan Fildes
Technology reporter, BBC News, Oxford

A system that can deliver power to devices without the need for wires has been shown off at a hi-tech conference.

The technique exploits simple physics and can be used to charge a range of electronic devices over many metres.

Eric Giler, chief executive of US firm Witricity, showed mobile phones and televisions charging wirelessly at the TED Global conference in Oxford.

He said the system could replace the miles of expensive power cables and billions of disposable batteries.

"There is something like 40 billion disposable batteries built every year for power that, generally speaking, is used within a few inches or feet of where there is very inexpensive power," he said.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8165928.stm




Mixed feelings about this -- getting rid of the demand for disposable batteries is nice, but do we need more EM fields in the workplace?

[CJCRANE]

1. Cool...Nikolai Tesla predicted this was possible.

So the next thing should be tapping free energy from the atmosphere.

[Lorien]

2. Tesla not only predicted it, he designed it before bankers shut him down:

http://www.teslascience.org/

[bigbrother05]

3. Saw a Tesla Coil demo years ago

Provided a wireless energy source, a fluorescent tube glowed while held in a student's bare hand. Intent was to avoid wires to homes, but control of individual devices would be a problem. Scheduling the times power was available would not work well in our society.

To use similar technology on an individual level could be attractive, but the "vampire" losses might be acceptible if the one device draws less power than the ones it would replace.

[phantom power]

4. Last I read about this tech, it was about 50% efficient.

Not terrible, actually, but also not as efficient as a wall socket.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Thanks for the info.

Wonder what the energy return is on "disposable" batteries ...