Sony develops a way to send electricity over air to power a TV
By Mike Ferro
Sony recently revealed that the company was working on a power supply solution that will require no wires and could be transferred over the air. A device like a TV could be completely powered by an electrical source sent over the air. The technology sounds fantastic as it could open doors to devices with an unlimited power supply without the restriction of wires.
The age old question of powering consumer electronics devices practically has been one that has kept devices from going completely wireless. Data transfer has evolved to a point where data can be sent over wirelessly. However, despite efforts to evolve towards a completely wire-free life-style, the barrier that manufacturers end up running into is the power supply. Other wireless energy sources like batteries must be maintained and regulated, and solar power is only viable under certain conditions and is not efficient.
According to PCWorld, Sony is working on a new technology which allows for electricity to be passed directly from the source to the destination in a very controlled manner. In order to demonstrate this technology, Sony developed a prototype power system that is capable of powering a television wirelessly.
Sony was able to send 100 volts of electricity over a distance of 50 centimeters to power a 22-inch LCD TV. Apparently this technology utilizes magnetic resonance to achieve this feat. There has to be two devices from the sending end and the receiving end both set to the same resonant frequency to be able to transfer successfully. Apparently, metallic devices placed in-between the field will not cause it to heat up.
Some of the system’s limitations include the ability to efficiently transfer electricity to the sending unit. The system is currently 80 percent efficient, meaning that a portion of the electricity is wasted. Another obstacle Sony has come across is the distance that this technology can be used. Sony indicated the distance can be increased with an extender that can bridge the distance from 50 cm to 80 cm. It will be interesting to see if Sony can leverage this new technology to create truly wireless LCD televisions to solve the problem of hiding wires.
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October 6th, 2009
Nikola Tesla did this sort of thing 100 years ago, about time Sony catches up with Tesla.
October 6th, 2009
WiTricity ftw :P
October 6th, 2009
Sony is somewhat late to the party. There are already some players in this arena who has developed the technology and have first movers advantages. But who knows, Sony might kill the competition with its might. Some more electronics giants are likely to come up with their offering as well. It is all good for the consumers, those waiting to achieve wireless nirvana!
October 8th, 2009
@Ralph — absolutely correct.
Instead of people stealing our WiFi, we’ll have to worry about people stealing our Electri-Fi
October 11th, 2009
I suspect the tricky part of the tech is to transfer electricity without frying whats in between like Tesla did.
Also, I suspect the science behind the receiver and transmitter is no small feat as it needs to ensure that most of the electricity does not get lost into the air and also hone in on the right destination.