First Time Ever - Charging Via Wi-Fi Is Real
You don't need wireless charging mats, because now you can charge stuff over Wi-Fi. A team of researchers recently showcased "Power over WiFi" system that is capable of charging things from up to eight meters away.
The Power over Wi-Fi doesn't require expensive router either, as in the demo the team used a custom firmware in an old router along with custom sensors to achieve the goal.
"The goal of the sensors is to harvest RF [radio frequency - ed] power and convert it into DC power," researcher Vamsi Talla was quoted as saying by Wired.
The proposed solution also allows for simultaneous charging and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to leverage both technologies at once.
"If we wanted to just blast as much power as we possibly can, that would kill your Wi-Fi, because you'd have power on the channel all the time," explains Bryce Kellogg, another researcher on the project. "We optimized the router so that we can deliver what seems like, to the sensor, constant power without impacting your Wi-Fi too much. Instead of having continuous power on one of your Wi-Fi channels, we split it among your three non-overlapping Wi-Fi channels. That allows us to deliver about the same amount of power without impacting any one channel very much."
As of now, the team has tested the innovation on a camera, rechargeable batteries and temperature sensor. Phones are not in the scenario right now because the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed a one watt limit on router power output.
