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This discussion relates to Technology Review's article Wireless Power Harvesting for Cell Phones.

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  GhostRider
  

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  06/09/2009 01:51 AM

  Wireless ambient power

  This would be useful for many gadgets. One gadget that came to mind would be a wireless tire pressure sensor.  They can have a sensor embeded in the wheel to sense tire pressure.  It will be power by wireless ambient energy.  It can send reading to the car so that when the tire pressure gets too low, it will give an alert to the driver.  And it would never have to replace a battery as it is power by ambient wireless power.

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  • 
    drudic
    

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    06/09/2009 06:05 AM

    Wireless ambient power

    Shouldn't such a system be fairly reliant on exactly where you are and how many electromagnetic devices are operating around you? I mean it would operate better if i had my TV, microwave oven and stereo on, whereas it wouldn't be as efficient if i were standing in a underground parking lot for examples sake. More energy around me, more juice in my mobile phone or what ever other device its powering.

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    • 
      Darko
      

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      06/09/2009 06:50 PM

      Re: Wireless ambient power

      The electronics in your house are in general all RECEIVING electrical signals, not TRANSMITTING.   Since I am guessing a lot of the energy comes from cell tower transmissions it would matter if you are in an area with good reception though.

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  • 
    jhertzberg
    

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    06/09/2009 09:56 AM

    Re: Wireless ambient power

    I would expect that a piezoelectric sensor may be a more straightforward solution for your tire pressure example. There would be ample kinetic energy available for harvesting where a rotating tire is involved.

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  • 
    YankeeBruce
    

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    06/09/2009 12:41 PM

    Re: Wireless ambient power

    Piezoelectric Tire Pressure Sensors have been installed as a factory otion in vehicles for over 10 years now; old technology. 
    

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    • 
      GarryWert
      

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      08/13/2009 12:35 PM

      Re: Wireless ambient power

      There are a whole host of antenna geometries that could be applied with semi-lithographic processes and work in conjunction with the photovoltaic circuits. These 2 energy based sources could actually contribute to increased efficiencies of both technologies. We may have the beginnings of the discovery of something like X-rays where 2 relative forces would produce an amplification effect.
      Watch The Time Traveler’s Wife Online and Watch District 9 Online

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  • 
    xiaocheng
    

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    07/09/2009 01:22 AM

    Re: Wireless ambient power

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  sdysart
  

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  06/09/2009 09:25 AM

  Gadget Charger

  It does sound like the recharging ability will depend very much on your surroundings but if you couple this ability with more efficient phones, then you will really be on to something. 
  
  It wouldn't need to completely replace the plug in charger, but if you are going on a trip you could conceivably leave the charger at home.

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  aldecal
  

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  06/09/2009 09:56 AM

  Wild Stuff

  Go Nokia Go!
  
  Utilizing photovoltaics as well is wonderful then the added real estate could have embedded antennas to trap a wider variety of electromagnetic ambient energy.  There are a whole host of antenna geometries that could be applied with semi-lithographic processes and work in conjunction with the photovoltaic circuits.  These 2 energy based sources could actually contribute to increased efficiencies of both technologies.  We may have the beginnings of the discovery of something like X-rays where 2 relative forces would produce an amplification effect.  Thank You, Nokia for stepping up and producing basic technology innovations.

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  paulfmeyer
  

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  06/09/2009 10:02 AM

  Tesla was right?

  100 years ago the wireless transmission of power was promoted by Nikola Tesla, but his efforts were not welcomed by Westinghouse or Edison, who worried that they would't be able to bill consumers without meters.

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  • 
    olmon
    

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    06/09/2009 11:53 AM

    Re: Tesla was right?

    I was going to comment on that fact, but you beat me to it.  There is a lot of technology that we COULD have, if it didn't cut into somebodies profits.

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    • 
      IHiJump
      

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      06/09/2009 12:05 PM

      Re: Tesla was right?

      Radio is the wireless transmission of energy.  So Tesla won out after all... it's just that people are finally beginning to realize it's useful.
      
      Don't I recall stories people going round with electrical utilities, accused of stealing power, when trying to harvest ambient em energy?

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      • 
        Darko
        

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        06/09/2009 06:54 PM

        Re: Tesla was right?

        Wireless energy transfer is still extraordinarily inefficient:
        
        http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/18836/
        
        Thats 45% efficiency under ideal conditions and a transfer distance of only a few meters.

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        • 
          perrelet
          

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          06/10/2009 07:49 PM

          Re: Tesla was right?

          Last year IBM managed to replicate Tesla's 1894 implementation at 75% efficiency:
          
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_energy_transfer#History_of_wireless_energy_transfer
          
          
          

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