The wireless future

The term ‘wireless’ is familiar to both the old and new generations. Most elders still refer to the radio as the ‘wireless’, while the younger generation does not even know that a ‘wired’ world existed at all. Their whole lifestyle is ‘wireless’ so to speak.

From the mobile phone to the iPad to the headphone they wear, everything is wireless.

The wireless revolution is the best thing that happened to humanity since the invention of the wheel. A lot of things that we take for granted today would not have been possible without the invention of wireless transmission systems. Just imagine the plight of an airline pilot who has no way of communicating with the ground. That is just one example which shows how essential ‘wireless’ is.

But there is one thing that still depends on wires to go from A to B. It is electricity. For more than a century, scientists have not been able to sever the cord, literally. You still have to plug in your TV to the wall outlet to power it up, even though you can control its functions remotely. Just imagine a future where this cord is a thing of the past. That is the holy grail of electricity - wireless electricity. And it is closer than you think.

In a way, wireless electricity is already here. Wireless charging systems for certain mobile phones have already been developed. Samsung’s Galaxy S3 already has wireless charging capabilities while its rival Apple is coming up with another version.

Devices like the Galaxy S3 use a type of wireless charging technology called inductive charging. This technology was largely developed by an independent consortium called

The Alliance for Wireless Power, of which Samsung is a member. Inductive charging requires devices to charge in a very small field, and in many cases, requires devices to be touching. It does away with one cable, but you still have to plug in the charging station and leave your phone on your desk to charge.

Technology

On the other hand, Apple uses a different approach. It uses Near Field Magnetic Resonance (NFMR), a technology that allows any device equipped with a NFMR chip to charge as long as it is within one meter of the power source.

All-electric car with plug-in charging

Regardless of the system, this is an exciting development. You will not have to worry constantly about that low battery indicator. You will not have to lug around many different chargers for your devices. A mobile phone that charges in your pocket ? Why not ? The possibilities are endless.

Another major application for wireless electricity (and charging) is the all-electric car with plug-in charging. A recent market report predicts wireless charging systems will make a big difference to the electric vehicle market worldwide, helping to increase EV sales from 120,000 in 2012 to more than 280,000 by the end of the decade. Toyota has started field trials with a wireless charging system that allows electric cars to replenish their batteries without needing a point of contact.

The system uses magnetic resonators buried in the road surface of a parking space and does away with the need to plug the car into mains using a cable. The wireless charging device is contained in a mat measuring about 50 centimetres across. When the car is parked the mat is raised automatically and the AC power is delivered via the magnetic field created under the vehicle.

Toyota says a typical Prius-sized model can be recharged in 90 minutes using the wireless induction system - the same amount of time needed for conventional charging. BMW, among others, has taken another approach - it has placed a wireless coil that receives power from a resonator embedded in the floor beneath the car.

The system can transmit up to 3,300 watts per hour and takes four to six hours to fully charge the vehicle.

In Europe, wireless-energy developer Qualcomm has launched a project with Renault to test the feasibility of embedding wireless power in the roadway. Called Halo, the technology involves inductive coils placed both in the road and on the underbelly of a vehicle. When a car drives over segments of roadway with the inductive coils, it will receive an energy boost.

Wireless

In the meantime, independent companies are working on the ultimate wireless power delivery solution - wireless mains (national grid) electricity. WiTricity, a company spun off from research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), aims to redefine how people use energy, making it possible to power devices without ever plugging them into an outlet.

If everything goes well, in 10 years it should be as commonplace as W-Fi is now. But the biggest beneficiary could be the environment - wire-free electricity transmission is a more convenient, greener alternative.

While it may take decades to truly replace the wired electricity network, we can already imagine a future where power devices are embedded in the walls and carpets of homes, making a truly wire-free household. But what could possibly be the cons of wireless charging ?

Many fear that wireless charging could bring more electromagnetic radiation to our lives.

We are already exposed to enough pollution everyday, so why bring in more types of pollution and radiation ? But proponents of wireless electricity say that harmful effects are minimal.

While the human body responds strongly to electric fields, experts say that humans do not absorb power from the low-level, magnetic field generated by a most wireless charging devices.

Our technology generates less radiation than the Earth's magnetic field; it is one hundred times safer than a cell phone and generates a million times less radiation than an MRI machine,” a WiTricity spokesman was quoted as saying in media reports.

If true, that is indeed reassuring.

But we cannot underestimate the vast potential of this emerging technology. The sheer convenience itself is a reason to move towards wireless electricity. Coupled with the emergence of renewable sources of power and newer battery technologies, wireless electricity and charging will be the ‘in thing’ especially for portable devices.

Its environment-friendly credentials could clinch the deal and pave the way for a truly wireless future.