Wireless Charging!

[doomfreak777]

  Hey found this really cool device. A wireless charging mat, its not a concept but actually works, may be old news to some I don't know but here it is:

http://www.powermat.com/

It's quite a neat product but apparently not particularly energy efficient as such.
What'd you think?

[B-Valvs]

I've seen commercials for that on TV. Very cool.

8-)

[SubZer0]

I'm very skeptical about this device... It's like a car running without an engine or tires to me...

[a1]

Magnetic induction I believe it's called. Very interesting.

[SubZer0]

OK so I just took a deeper look into it and see that it's not wireless at all, because the mat itself has to be plugged into an outlet... ....

[patchz]

I read an SF book about 40 years ago that had wireless power via radio waves. This was for homes, businesses, transportation, everything. Cool idea, if it can ever be done, safely and with reliability. Maybe this is headed in that direction.

[expat]

Magnetic induction I believe it's called. Very interesting.

Just how my electric toothbrush has been charged.......for the last five years. A variation on old technology.

Matt

[specter177]

When they can do it where you don't need an adapter on the device and will do it over distance, then I'll be excited.

[Sir_Crashalot]

Total waste of money. It's a neat gadget but nothing more than that. I already have a charger with my phone so why would I buy a powermat that does the same thing? From the same power outlet? With the same electricity? Less efficient?

Crash

[machineman9]

When they can do it where you don't need an adapter on the device and will do it over distance, then I'll be excited.

I imagine the issue is not that it can't currently be done, but how much power it would take to do that and what effect it will have on everything else.

If I remember correctly, humans aren't affected by magnetism, but a lot of hardware is. Watches, computers, etc. If they found a way to make it safe to these objects, then it could work.

You would also need a lot of power. In this day and age it isn't really easy to keep burning oil and all that. Some people like to make wind farms, but you would need real technology such as better nuclear. I believe they are working to develop nuclear power stations capable of giving out more power than it took in. That's the power sorted, but green peace probably won't see that it is the right solution.

[H]

I read an SF book about 40 years ago that had wireless power via radio waves. This was for homes, businesses, transportation, everything. Cool idea, if it can ever be done, safely and with reliability. Maybe this is headed in that direction.

I came up with that idea many moons ago -- while majoring in industrial electronics. I was basically posturing on smaller voltage units. The regulation was a major concern because, unless you were close to the transmiiter(s), the signal not only weakenened but was much more susceptible to fluctuation.

P.S. Please check your PM, if you haven't.

8-)

[tcco94]

We were talking about this in my systems management class...what would happen if you placed a magnet on it while doing its charge? 

[H]

[quote]We were talking about this in my systems management class...what would happen if you placed a magnet on it while doing its charge?

[a1]

[quote][quote]We were talking about this in my systems management class...what would happen if you placed a magnet on it while doing its charge?