Wireless charging offers pervasive power in buildings

This is the claim of researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M) and University of Tokyo whose findings are detailed in Nature Electronics.

Study author Alanson Sample, U-M professor of computer science and engineering, said that in addition to untethering phones and laptops, the technology could also power implanted medical devices and open new possibilities for mobile robotics in homes and manufacturing facilities. The team is also working on implementing the system in spaces that are smaller than room-size, such as a toolbox that charges tools inside it.

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“This really ups the power of the ubiquitous computing world - you could put a computer in anything without ever having to worry about charging or plugging in,” Sample said in a statement. “There are a lot of clinical applications as well; today’s heart implants, for example, require a wire that runs from the pump through the body to an external power supply. This could eliminate that, reducing the risk of infection and improving patients’ quality of life.”