Powercast Corporation formalised its partnership with Etherdyne Technologies (ETI) to license their magnetic resonance technology, adding it to Powercast’s growing portfolio of wireless power transfer (WPT) technologies. Powercast’s goal is to provide the convenience of a one stop shop for all things wireless power – short to long range, microwatts to kilowatts – with an engineering team that can apply the best solution to fit every customer’s application.
“We had long-range RF (radio frequency) and short-range smart inductive covered, but by adding magnetic resonance we can now apply mid-range solutions that deliver more power than RF, and with more freedom of placement than induction offers,” said Charles Greene, Ph.D., COO and CTO of Powercast. “With full capabilities across wireless power, we can save manufacturers time and money, and help them create sustainable, maintenance-free, wire-and-disposable-battery-free devices.”
Powercast’s magnetic resonance technology, powered by ETI, wirelessly powers multiple devices with up to 100 watts of total power in a 3D magnetic energy field covering spaces as large as a common desktop (4 x 2 feet). A transmitter with a flexible wire loop is embedded into a surface to create a wire-free power zone. As devices embedded with power receivers enter the zone, they convert the magnetic energy into electricity to power themselves or charge their batteries. Applications include a wire-free desk that charges desktop components (i.e., a computer monitor, laptop charging stand, mouse, keyboard, desk lamp, and Qi-compatible phone charger), or a wire-free wall or workbench where power tools can be hung or placed to recharge.
“This partnership represents a powerful step forward for the wireless power ecosystem,” said Jeff Yen, CEO, ETI. “By combining our strengths, we’re empowering engineers and innovators with tools that make it easier than ever to design, prototype, and deploy wire-free solutions at scale.”
Powercast’s WPT technologies involve transmitters that send power to receivers embedded in end devices, but they differ in strength, transfer distance and alignment requirements to fit different applications:
- Contact-based smart inductive, which charges one product at a time like Qi charging of a mobile phone, is the most powerful (up to 600 watts), but the transmitter and receiver must closely align, almost touching. Smart inductive is suited for power-hungry products like telecom, robotics, micro-mobility, medical and underwater charging
- Over-the-air (OTA) RF delivers lower power (100s of milliwatts to single-digit microwatts) but over longer distances (up to 200 feet) to trickle charge many products at a time over longer periods of time. RF is suited for devices that consume low amounts of power like IoT and home automation sensors, game controllers, wearables, headphones and hearables, keyboards and mice, TV remotes, bathroom devices like electric toothbrushes and shavers, and more
- Magnetic resonance covers the middle range, providing up to 100 watts to charge many products at a time that are within range of the desktop-sized (4 x 2 feet) wireless charging loop. This is suited for higher wattage charging for home, office, and industrial applications where multiple devices need power at the same time
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