From Bluetooth and WiFi to WiTricity: Will It Happen Soon?

I am not a big fan of wires (especially for charging electricity). There are just too many of them--different ones for different devices. Just as we have now taken WiFi for granted at many places, I have often wondered when might we have wireless charging of devices. NY Times is reporting that a demonstration may be forthcoming tomorrow.

On Thursday, the chip maker plans to demonstrate the use of a magnetic field to broadcast up to 60 watts of power two to three feet. It says it can do that losing only 25 percent of the power in transmission.
“Something like this technology could be embedded in tables and work surfaces,” said Justin Rattner, Intel’s chief technology officer, “so as soon as you put down an appropriately equipped device it would immediately begin drawing power.”

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The label WiTricity come from the MIT project.

The MIT group refers to the idea as WiTricity, a play on wireless and electricity. Both the M.I.T. group and the Intel researchers are exploring a phenomenon known as “resonant induction,” making it possible to transmit power several feet without wires.

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We are evolving towards a network era with Bluetooth, WiFi and WiTricity!