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Wireless Electricity! Wi-Fi-Power Makes Nikola Tesla’s Dream a Reality

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Nikola Tesla’s wireless electricity is a reality…kind of. A new WiFi based device will charge electronic devices up to 28 feet away using the WiFi signal which comes from a wireless router. It picks up the energy out of thin air. Literally.

It’s called PoWiFi and here’s how it works.

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University of Washington

“Ambient RF signals are both the power source and the communication medium.”
Washington University

 

Abstract – We present the first power over Wi-Fi system that delivers power and works with existing Wi-Fi chipsets. Specifically, we show that a ubiquitous piece of wireless communication infrastructure, the Wi-Fi router, can provide far field wireless power without compromising the network’s communication performance. Building on our design we prototype, for the first time, battery-free temperature and camera sensors that are powered using Wi-Fi chipsets with ranges of 20 and 17 feet respectively. We also demonstrate the ability to wirelessly recharge nickel–metal hydride and lithium-ion coin-cell batteries at distances of up to 28 feet. Finally, we deploy our system in six homes in a metropolitan area and show that our design can successfully deliver power via Wi-Fi in real-world network conditions.” PDF DOWNLOAD Powering the Next Billion Devices with Wi-Fi

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University of Washington

“Shyam Gollakota and his team recently demonstrated technology at EmTech Digital in San Francisco that harvests ambient ‘backscatter’ radio signals to power battery-free temperature and camera sensors. The technology can also be used to charge nickel–metal hydride and lithium-ion coin-cell batteries at distances of up to 28 feet.” Read more: Wi-Fi-powered electronics make Nikola Tesla’s dream a reality | Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

This device of course won’t power your home, but it will charge small electronic devices.

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Source: Washington University