KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, DAEJEON, SOUTH KOREA. KAIST Wi-Power is a wireless phone charger that can charge a phone at a range of one meter and in all directions. This innovative charger has solved one of the main problems when it comes to mobile technology. In addition to this, the transmitter system that is used is compatible with other electronic devices and is totally safe for humans.
Chun Rim, professor of nuclear & quantum engineering, and his team developed an inductive wireless charging system than can beam power up to a meter away. The current wireless charging systems can only charge devices that sit on top of them. This was the main motivation for the research and development of the KAIST Wi-Power.
The team’s research went further than that since they were able to solve three major concerns: the dependence on charging directions, plane coil structures of both Tx and Rx that have blocked the commercialization of wireless power transmitters and concerns related to the short charging distance.
The KAIST Wi-Power has six degrees of freedom. This means that power can be relayed to devices at any position within the range. This technology outperforms the current wireless charging capability of the Samsung Galaxy S6 since it can only be charged in one position resulting to one degree of freedom.
The wireless power transmitter was built with the use of high-frequency magnetic materials in a coil structure. It was patterned on a previous wireless power transfer that the researchers created last year. The team was able to charge 30 smartphones at one watt each and 5 laptops with 2.4 watts each. The devices were charged at a distance of 50 centimeters.
Further research and improvement can lead to the actualization of a Dipole Coil Resonant System (DCRS) as WiFi for power. Simply imagine entering a Wi-Power zone and your smartphones and laptop start charging on their own. This will surely be a more effective way in charging electronic devices.
| Invention | KAIST Wi-Power |
|---|---|
| Organization | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology |
| Researcher | Professor Chun Rim & Team |
| Field(s) | Wireless Charging, Wireless Power, Inductive Power Transfer System, Dipole Coil Resonant System, WiFi Power |
| Further Information | http://factor-tech.com/future-cities/18633-by-2030-driverless-taxis-will-be-cheaper-and-more-climate-friendly-than-those-driven-by-humans/ |
Image courtesy of pixabay.com
