We live in an era where wireless Internet access can be had as easily as pressing a couple buttons, if we even need to do that much after the first couple of tries. Yet, our devices are still tied to cables, if only occasionally; the connection between our devices and the electrical supply must still be accomplished by cable. But that too may be coming to an end, as a new technology licensing arrangement between WiTricity and Intel suggests that one day our power may be as wireless as our Internet connections.
Wireless charging has been the kind of thing that's been on tap for some time now; Lenovo and Dell recently got into the space, and the Rezence brand from A4WP has also made its play. This new arrangement, however, lends an added note of credence, especially given how many devices turn to Intel for processors. Reports suggest that the WiTricity / Intel arrangement will actually work according to the Rezence specifications, so that will likely further augment the overall position of wireless charging.
But WiTricity may have a particular advantage up its sleeve; reports suggest that the technology has an efficiency of better than 90 percent—good by nearly any measure—and offers the added bonus that it's based on magnetic resonance rather than induction. That means that the device intended for a charge doesn't need to be placed directly onto the charger, but rather can be placed near said charger instead. The charger can even offer that charge through surfaces like wood or even metal, so placing one charger in, say, a cabinet for the entire room becomes an option. Floor mats containing repeater pads can even come into play for those who need extra range, and chargers range in power from 10 watts to potentially as much as 20 kilowatts down the line.
Already several devices have WiTricity-capable charging. Toyota reportedly will be putting WiTricity to work in the next generation of Prius, and there's also word of a helmet kit that can draw power from a backpack, making it an interesting choice for military applications. A WiTricity-powered heart pump may also be on tap, though that will have to go through FDA approvals; this particular healthcare advance may have plenty of value as, typically, heart pumps are powered via a socket interface that sticks out of the patient. This is a fairly common point for infection, so WiTricity could prove a help here.
But when will those new WiTricity-powered laptops emerge? Reports suggest as early as the end of 2014, so a WiTricity laptop may be charging under a few Christmas trees this year. It's possible that we could see this before then, however, as there are other Rezence members in the fold, at last report, so one of these might strike a deal and get into play sooner than WiTricity and Intel. However, it's worth noting that the Intel deal is likely to prove a lot bigger than just one product line, since so many devices pack Intel processors on some level or another. Even if another firm made a deal faster, it might not matter, since WiTricity stuff would show up on several different fronts. Still, it's likely to be a very big deal, and we may be able to make moving a laptop as easy as moving a tablet, a development that could be quite the boost for the beleaguered form factor.
Edited by
Maurice Nagle
