Technology has come a long way in recent years. There are more and more battery-operated devices coming out every day. One thing that isn’t going to change is the need to charge all of these wireless gadgets you keep accumulating. For a long time there have been wired chargers, but more recently devices have been adopting wireless charging. A popular method is “Qi” charging that you may recognize from newer cell phones. Another method is “Rezence” that uses magnets to charge. The problem with these methods is that while it doesn’t require a wire to be attached to your device, it does require the devices to be in a fixed location on top of a charger.
WattUp is here to change all of that. It was recently announced that WattUp is the first of its kind to be certified by the FCC. It is a wireless charging technology that can charge multiple devices at a distance of up to 15 feet. The closer you are the faster the charge rate, but for many devices you probably don’t need a quick charge if they are constantly inside the charging zone (like a mouse or headset). This technology seems like it could be a home run if it takes off. Just think of the possibilities, you could walk into your home and have your phone charging in your pocket, your smartwatch charging on your wrist. It just makes things so much more convenient. It would be a big draw for businesses to have these at coffee shops or even in your office. Who knows, in time the technology could extend to even longer ranges that could cover your entire home.
The way WattUp works is by using radio frequency energy to recharge batteries. So it essentially will work like Wi-Fi for charging, anything within range can be charged. The one hurdle they will need to overcome is that devices will need to have a WattUp receiver for the charging to work. They showed a demo with a case that had a receiver built into it to charge the device, but the hope is that this technology will be adopted into the construction of devices going forward.
You can see and learn more on their website energous.com.
