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Plastic sheet delivers wireless power

Desks and walls could one day light up electronics without need for cables.

Annoyed by the tangle of power cords under your desk? A sheet of plastic invented by researchers in Japan could one day make for tables and walls that power devices placed on them — without any need for wires or plugs. Computers could be powered through the desks on which they sit, for example, or flat-screen televisions through the walls where they hang.

Read the story here.

Posted by Nicola Jones on April 29, 2007 06:00 PM |

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A couple of technical points: A 'wireless' coupler would _not_ use 'contact points.' Those used for electric toothbrushes use inductive coupling, like that between the two coils of a transformer. (It's admittedly a tough point to simplify for the non-technical public.)

And of course the safety issue is hardly resolved by the survival of the goldfish. The point should have been that low frequencies and power transfers are inherently harmless. I do like the fish, though.

The scheme is quite clever, but I wish it had been described a bit more clearly. It sounds like it might have been a recycled idea from a computer-screen manufacturer that didn't quite do what was hoped.

I'm also not familiar with competing technologies that use silicon transistors. This particular idea seems to be fairly unique, and no more than something of a novelty until some rather heavy creative work can be applied. I certainly wouldn't trust the coupling mechanism for anything too critical, e.g., the power to a computer, at this point.

Posted by: Mark Kinsler | April 30, 2007 08:44 PM

The article missed the point. First of all, the "special 'receiving coils' " are nothing more then "antennas". Of course we can also see it as a coil of a transformer as our collegue points out.

Those matching coils, if they are what I imagine, are nothing strange. We can see them in some stores, where they are glued to the products and used to activate those alarms at the exits.

It would have been really helpful if this had been highlighted. People use to see antennas just as receivers of "signals", and not of power. It´s an important paradigm shift.

Second, we are talking about a surface that will tranfer energy to an object nearby, without wires. The point of having this, is to make it easy to change the objects of place easely, so the TV example is perhaps not the most important one. The christmas tree example should have been more detailed.

Third: the energy to feed the whole system comes from somewhere else, a battery, or even from a power outlet, using wires. I would like to hear about this. The article leaves the impression that the plastic surface might have energy by itself.

And to finish, this wireless transmission of power reminds me of some ideas of the great Nikola Tesla, and it´s a shame he wasn´t mentioned.

...But it´s still a fine piece of equipament!! I want one! :)

Posted by: Nicolau Werneck | May 1, 2007 10:31 PM

I would like to know more about the $100 per square meter manufacturing cost of the 4-layer sheet. Appreciate if anyone can provide more details.

I am quite fascinated by this technology. So much so that I am running a series on my blog on various components. I just got started, and I am very excited about it! I am not an electrical/electronics engineer; rather my interest is from the materials (mostly from the plastics) perspective.

Posted by: MaterialsGuru | May 6, 2007 03:54 AM

Hey, folks -- I'm the author of this article. A few matters:

* I agree re: "contact points".

* Two companies doing something similar with silicon transistors are U.K.-based Splashpower Limited ( http://www.splashpower.com ) and U.S.-based WildCharge, Inc. ( http://www.wildcharge.com ). I don't think these are wireless solutions, though, but I haven't seen them up close.

* Agreed that the receiving coils are nothing new. However, the scheme by which power is sent efficiently to the receiving coil via MEMS switch control *is* new, as far as I can tell.

* The $100/square meter target cost is from a FAQ sent to me privately by one of the researchers. I don't know whether they'll distribute that FAQ more widely; you may be able to get a copy by contacting them directly.

Cheers,

--Tom Geller
http://www.tomgeller.com

Posted by: Tom Geller | May 6, 2007 10:40 PM

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