Digital Home Thoughts: Intel Raises our Hopes with Wireless Power Prototype

"Wireless is one of those hot tech catch-alls of the new millennium. There's wireless broadcasters and receivers, utilizing such technology as WiMax, 802.11n, and Bluetooth. There's wireless gaming controllers. There's just about wireless everything -- except power transmission. Wireless power transmission is something that inventor Nikolai Tesla came up with over a century ago and claimed to have perfected. However, his mysterious work vanished with his death, and for decades the topic was left untouched. Now there has been a resurgence in interest with several companies competing to becoming the first to offer commercially broadcast wireless power. At the Intel Developers Forum (IDF) this month, Intel demoed just such a system. Using two large coils it showcased a system that could send 60 watts of power at 75 percent efficiency up to 3 feet. The power was enough to light up a bulb at the receiving end. Justin Rattner, Intel’s chief technology officer describes, "Something like this technology could be embedded in tables and work surfaces, so as soon as you put down an appropriately equipped device it would immediately begin drawing power.""

75% efficiency is not bad at all for now. I remember reading about a real test of wireless power about 6-7 years ago in a Japanese laboratory (I think I have that right, but my memory could be going). And the article said that Japanese scientists were planning on putting an array of large satellites into space (to capture solar power) and then beam it down via microwaves. Well, this experiment from Intel seems much safer than being zapped from outer space. Anyways, it seems clear that we are years away from realistic wireless power for consumer devices, but I still sit here with bated breath.