MIT develops model for wireless power

There have been several attempts to develop a system that would allow consumer electronics to be powered wirelessly, but researchers at MIT have come up with a new, more efficient model to power devices in the home without cords.<BR><BR>Story

 

[OrangeCream]

You can't stop the robots. That is why they are called robots. If they could be stopped, they would be called slaves -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif --

 

[LIbrarian]

Sounds promising for powering medical implants or prostheses without having to deal with running wires through the skin, if a resonate battery pack can be made.

 

[dmccarty]

The big question is what kind of energy numbers are we talking about? Resonant energy is pretty darn low on the energy scale, right? Is this a charge measured in electron-volts? If so, then all this talk about "will it charge my roomba/etc" is nutso.

 

[dmccarty]

<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">If they could be stopped <b>from running away</b>, they would be called slaves -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif -- </div>
</blockquote>There I fixed that for you.<br><br>Not sure I really agree with your assessment. It's one of those things that sounds cool at first, but then you think about it and it doesn't really mean anything. Is there a word for that?<br><br>edit: what the world needs is less acronyms (wtwnila?)

 

[Deleted member 1]

I don't know much about physics...but is it safe to radiate that much energy into an environment occupied by humans? Isn't this kind of like living under the proverbial high-power lines? Or is this a completely different kind of transmission?

 

[BevansDesign]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">plan is based around physics that have been around since the 19th century </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I bet those physics have been around longer than that!<BR><BR>(I know what they really mean, but I just found that line funny.)

 

[redleader]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Librarian:<BR>Sounds promising for powering medical implants or prostheses without having to deal with running wires through the skin, if a resonate battery pack can be made. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Medical devices typically only need to send energy a cm or so, so induction is already pretty efficient without this.

 

[Recliner]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FeldmanSkitzoid:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">plan is based around physics that have been around since the 19th century </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I bet those physics have been around longer than that!<BR><BR>(I know what they really mean, but I just found that line funny.) </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I liked that part too.<BR><BR>I am a bit worried about the side effects of such devices though. We already have quite a bit of 'stuff' traveling through the air and I can't imagine adding magnetic fields will be good for us.

 

[torok]

<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dmccarty:<br><blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">If they could be stopped <b>from running away</b>, they would be called slaves -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif -- </div>
</blockquote>TIFTFY.<br><br>Not sure I really agree with your assessment. It's one of those things that sounds cool at first, but then you think about it and it doesn't really mean anything. Is there a word for that? </div>
</blockquote>
<br><br>http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/specious<br><br>Just think of me as a word of the day calendar. -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif --

 

[zsouthboy]

I can't wait to get my Wireless Blow Up Playmate!

 

[Fok]

why is this news if they haven't even tried it yet?

 

[Imnsvale]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Recliner:<BR><snip><BR><BR>I am a bit worried about the side effects of such devices though. We already have quite a bit of 'stuff' traveling through the air and I can't imagine adding magnetic fields will be good for us. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>We already have a huge honkin' magnetic field flowing through us, courtesy of the Earth.<BR><BR>Mm, junk science scaring people with "harmful" invisible rays. Although, if these wireless power devices could fry people that wear tinfoil hats...

 

[Moracq]

Okay, off-hand, I thought of some interesting things.<BR><BR>1) Nano-bots! No longer would they need to gain power through your body heat, or whatever, you could have a battery sized emitter in your pocket that only worked around you powering the nanites. If they get out of control, remove the power source, and they're dormant.<BR><BR>2) Electric cars. If this is possible, you could charge your car WHILE you were driving, or just have it run off the power network if already fully charged. Add in a wireless network and your car could report how much power it used and you could be charged back for it, in real time (or monthly, or whatever).

 

[BeowulfSchaeffer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Imnsvale:<BR>We already have a huge honkin' magnetic field flowing through us, courtesy of the Earth. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>If you know about the earths H field, then I also assume you know that it is a DC field, not AC. Most peoples concern is with AC fields.

 

[drlava]

I just had a demonstration this morning where an AC magnetic field pulse was used to stimulate an arm nerve and make your arm jump. Use the coil on your back (spinal cord) and you lurch all over. Use it on your head and... get a headache. I'd like to know what frequencies they are planning on using.

 

[OrangeCream]

<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dmccarty:<br><blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">If they could be stopped <b>from running away</b>, they would be called slaves -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif -- </div>
</blockquote>TIFTFY.<br><br>Not sure I really agree with your assessment. It's one of those things that sounds cool at first, but then you think about it and it doesn't really mean anything. Is there a word for that? </div>
</blockquote>
<br><br>Why would the robots run away? They are surely tethered by the wireless power field.

 

[Maria_Andretti]

They may have already addressed this, but I'd like to see the size of the structure *in the device* that parses, captures, and applies this energy. I'm guessing they'll be engineering that down to a manageable size for a while before this hits prime time.<br><br>That, and the death rays, of course. -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif --

 

[tx2tn]

This has fantastic potential if it works.<br><br>On the other hand, I can see the alien race that comes to earth ten thousand years from now finding our still glowing remains. Maybe they will be convinced that we didn't destroy ourselves, but instead evolved into beings of pure energy. After all, they don't know what our natural state was supposed to be right? <br><br>There's a Sci-fi novel in here somewhere. I'm sure of it. <br><br> -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif --

 

[Alamout]

So, could I feed someone a tiny antenna and electrocute them from the inside?<BR><BR>/makes note to call Q down at the lab...

 

[XeoMage]

If this works as described, the number of potential applications is pretty incredible.<BR><BR>I expect the actual power transfer would be fairly low, but probably great for charging devices.<BR><BR>My idea that follows on this is could you use resonance of this type to securely and wirelessly transmit data? A potential eavesdropper would be easy to detect, since the signal strength would drop when it began resonating at the same frequency as the other two devices.

 

[Kalila]

Links? <BR>It's research!

 

[Wart]

I can't tell you the number of times I've plugged in a laptop and thought, if we have wireless Ethernet, and we have power over Ethernet, why not power over wireless? I thought I was joking at the time.<BR><BR>I know I'm being a geek, but this would be fantastic for laptops and PDA's.<BR><BR>Also, you'd never have to replace the batteries in your TV remote again.

 

[JeffT2]

This sounds fantastic! I wonder when they do develop this if it would be taken into a park and free power turned on for all. Everyone could bring their wireless laptops into the park, surf the net on their lunch break using free wi-fi and then go back to work. If they could develop wireless power, I'm sure they could also improve radio frequencies so that people with cell phones could get a signal while in an evevator or even in subway train.

 

[Fiendish]

Why no link? Don't post articles without a link when one exists.<BR><BR>http://arxiv.org/ftp/physics/papers/0611/0611063.pdf

 

[Mux]

I always wanted scrambled eggs for DNA !

 

[Mister Mike]

<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dmccarty:<br>edit: what the world needs is <b>fewer</b> acronyms (wtwni<b>f</b>a?) </div>
</blockquote>
<br><br>There, I fixed that for you -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif --

 

[dhughes]

This was Nikola Tesla's idea, it didn't catch on maybe it will now, sure it's a different method but pretty much the same idea of wireless power transfer.

 

[Mister Morden]

Some concerns, some more valid than others, I'm sure...<BR><BR>1) Incompatible devices. Let's say that your iPod needs N watts and is tuned to pick up radiative energy at 2.3 GHz. Then someone's computer's power supply needs 100N watts and the manufacturer decides to use 2.3 GHz...<BR><BR>2) Power thievery. We have trouble with people leeching off of other's wireless internet connection. How would you stop people from leeching off your power AND your wireless internet connection? It's not like you can do MAC filtering.<BR><BR>2a) You might be tempted to push some regulation that requires devices to respect some kind of authorization scheme, but that can be hacked (or, more easily, removed). IANASysadmin, but I've heard it said that the first rule of network security is "never trust the client."<BR><BR>2b) You would be able to detect power draw from unauthorized devices, but if the client device isn't respecting the authorization scheme, the only option I can see is to shut down your tower.

 

[melgross]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by BeowolfSchaffer:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Imnsvale:<BR>We already have a huge honkin' magnetic field flowing through us, courtesy of the Earth. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>If you know about the earths H field, then I also assume you know that it is a DC field, not AC. Most peoples concern is with AC fields. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>It's also extemely weak.<BR><BR>ther hasn't been evidence that living closly to power lines is harmful, according to testing, or that cell phones cause cancer.<BR><BR>But microwave, even at low power is dangerous.<BR><BR>I wonder just how much power this can carry? If a person sits between the devices, how would that affect them?

 

[AaronSullivan]

Yo, Joe! It's the beginnings of the B.E.T. (Broadcast Energy Transmitter.) Hopefully, it won't be blown up into 5 pieces, avoiding a 5 part race against Cobra to find them.

 

[wb]

Might this be the solution to the diminishing supply of fossil fuels used for transportation? Not that I would be too keen on flying across the Pacific on a remotely powered airplane, of course.

 

[Scott Robinson]

Wasn't this an Avengers (Steed & Mrs. Peale you whippersnappers) episode?<BR><BR>I still think that a wireless pad for charging cell phones and laptops should be easy enough. Just make the thing look (electrically) enough like a transfomrer and Bob's your uncle. Having something locate your cell phone (especially while wearing it) and having something zap it with microwaves sounds like something that better have zero bugs in rev 1.0.<BR><BR>Scott

 

[lonelyHobo]

Microwaves aren't dangerous. The energy in a microwaves is many many orders of magnitude less than the energy of ANY chemical bond. Remember, we have a bunch of microwave radiation already shooting through our bodies from the big bang. Microwaves generally interact in matter through the photoelectric effect, where in a metal the photon is absorbed, causing a current. It's why your antennas are made of metal. It's why you don't put metal in your microwave. Continuing, there are already a great number of devices which operate in the microwave bandwidth. 802.11(whatever)? Microwave. That fancy cordless phone? Microwave. Your cell phone? Microwave.<BR><BR>The title of the paper is "Wireless Non-Radiative Energy Transfer" which alone means that the energy being transmitted isn't interacting much with what it's being transmitted through. It also means it's pretty efficient.<BR><BR>It's a disappointing thing to see all of you saying "well if it makes my food hot it must be dangerous!@!!@" Definitively without any sort of substantiation or even backing in scientific fact.

 

[Swiftwing]

Interesting from a oo shiny point of view, but i wonder about losses. I'm pretty certain it will be greater than wires no?

 

[ferny]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by mangrove_earthshoe:<BR>I always wanted scrambled eggs for DNA ! </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>HOLY LOLS! <BR>As much as I will love having wireless power transmission, I think I'll have to wear my tinfoil hat when using it.

 

[Drew Thaler]

Wicked idea. As others mentioned, once you use your microwaves to cook the brains of the people wearing tinfoil hats so that they're no longer an obstacle, the primary difficulty sounds like it would be efficiency. How much energy is lost doing this in a real-world system?

 

[chrismholt]

Wow! his first reference is Tesla. I wish I was cool enough to quote Tesla as a resource in my papers. <BR><BR>Thank you for the link to the paper

 

[reever]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by ferny:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by mangrove_earthshoe:<BR>I always wanted scrambled eggs for DNA ! </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>HOLY LOLS! <BR>As much as I will love having wireless power transmission, I think I'll have to wear my tinfoil hat when using it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>It doesn't interact with DNA

 

[zathras2]

Wow it took nearly a hundred years to rediscover what Tesla had in the first place. If only the US military hadn't confiscated all of his research...<BR><BR><BR><BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">It doesn't interact with DNA </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Sure...