As the world races toward a wireless future, several companies have been working on advancements in wireless power technology. But one company has managed to outperform the others in producing a wireless technology capable of widespread adoption in terms of distance, safety and efficiency. The company is Wi-Charge, and its technology is infrared (IR) wireless power.
While companies offering radio frequency (RF) and magnetic resonance technologies have made great headway recently, their technologies are still limited in efficiency and distance.
Wi-Charge, a company that is synonymous with far-field wireless power, has been making gradual and significant advancements in the last year. Aside from receiving the CES 2022 award in technological innovation, we have established partnerships with Charter House Innovations, Alfred Inc, and Belkin, powerhouses in the restaurant, smart lock, and consumer electronics industries.
These new partnerships are exciting since IR technology has already proven to be a game changer in many ways. Let’s look at how IR compares with other wireless technologies.
How infrared (IR) outperforms other wireless technologies
1. Distance
One of the most obvious requirements of a wireless power technology is that it should be able to power devices from a distance. Somehow, perhaps due to eager first claims on wireless power, the tech industry has been led astray with the terms “wireless charging.” A device that needs to sit on a charging pad that must be plugged into an outlet is hardly wireless. Although RF and magnetic resonance technologies have proven to be capable of beaming power up to a couple meters, both require very large receivers, transmitters, and/or antennas due to their loss of power over distance. In other words, they are limited to very low power over distance for practical use cases.
Infrared wireless power, on the other hand, can beam energy to devices from distances of 30 feet. This is truly something revolutionary in the world of wireless power and offers end-users the freedom to move around without worrying about alignment or power shortages. Furthermore, with Wi-Charge’s R1 wireless transmitter, dozens of devices can be powered simultaneously making it easier than ever to add new smart devices to your power grid as they become available. This is also a huge step in reducing the amount of e-waste generated from batteries and wires.
2. Efficiency
An efficient wireless power technology has to be able to send several watts of power to devices at a distance without losing power along the way. With RF charging, power decays as distance squared, allowing delivery of limited low power only enough for low energy devices. The problem is that as the distance between transmitter and receiver widens, the energy widens too and cannot be captured by the receiver.
With infrared wireless power, all the energy transmitted is received since the beam of energy is very directional whether the distance is 3 feet or 30. This is truly remarkable and revolutionary for the world of wireless and smart technology. This means that no matter where you are in a room or what your power needs are, infrared wireless technology offers a focused beam of several watts of energy to your device which will receive all the energy.
3. Safety
Of course, safety is always a primary concern. After all, even if RF could harness enough energy to charge energy intensive devices, who would want a room filled with so much stray energy? And would the regulator allow it? As it is, people are concerned about radiation from x-ray machines and 5G power towers, they certainly don’t want to fill their homes and workspaces with high amounts of energy, and you guessed right - the regulator also would not allow it.
This is what makes infrared such a likable technology and also why it is approved by regulatory bodies worldwide to beam energy from a distance. Since the beam is directional, no one needs to worry about radiation. Furthermore, the directional beam can easily detect if there is any interference between transmitter and receiver, instantly redirecting or powering off as an added safety measure.
Wi-Charge AirCord™ wireless technology: The leader in far-field wireless power
Wi-Charge's AirCord™ technology is currently the only long-range wireless power that charges devices from distances of 30+ feet safely, efficiently, and sustainably. One R1 transmitter can save roughly 5,000 AA batteries, while providing 100x more power than a battery. Unlike other technologies, AirCord™ doesn't emit radiation or lose power over long distances.
At Wi-Charge, we make smart devices even smarter so that consumers can enjoy an elevated user experience and OEMs efforts on the important matters. Join us and free your devices today by integrating AirCord™ wireless technology in your end-devices.