Wireless charging has been in the news a lot in the last year thanks to mobile phones and the ability to charge them with a wireless device.
But what does the future hold for the tech?
Kitchen tops that act like wireless chargers for all the electronic devices in the kitchen have been demoed this year. Light bulbs that charge any devices in the room. These are all well and good but they max out at 5 watts and have a limited range so with the innovation we are seeing in smart homes and home battery storage what could we see them do in the future; scientists are already exploring these ideas so here are some of the best:
Electric Vehicles
One theory currently being developed is wireless charging of cars through the roads they drive one but a big drawback is the change required to the entire infrastructure of cities and towns. Wireless charging on your driveway or road at home are more realistic and could work nicely with a smart connected home that uses a home battery.
Connected Home
Wireless charging has been proven at distances of up to 5 metres. Lightbulbs and kitchen counter tops are being showcased as wireless charging station so it is possible that in the future battery storage devices in the home could be charged from solar panels (or other renewable sources) that could then charge up any appliance in the home that has the ability to operate from a battery. The future home could then become entirely wireless as the possibilities of what could become a charger are endless, we could even embed them in our walls.
The Future
How far can wireless charging go? Current issues with power and distance could soon be overcome but issues with infrastructure and funding could limit it to our portable devices for a few more years yet. The best start would be to maximise these issues with power and distance and then we can work on wireless charging vehicles and charging our phones from three miles away.
