Intel flicks the switch on wireless electricity

Rats! Despite out best efforts with torches and solar panels it appears Intel has beaten us to our dream of beaming electricity wirelessly.

It's just demoed what it's calling "Wireless Resonant Energy Link" - a way of transmitting electricity to nearby devices sans any pesky wires. Read on to find out how.

The principle works in a similar fashion to the way an opera singer can transfer enough energy to shatter a glass purely by hitting the right note. It's based on work done by Marin Soljacic at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but, crucially, Intel's managed to up the efficiency so that 90% of the power transmitted actually makes it to the receiving device.

Intel proved it worked by powering a 60W light bulb a yard away from a transmitter. By putting the same hardware into laptops and phones, Intel envisage airport hotspots that not only deliver the Internet without wires but also charge your devices at the same time. A similar aspiration to Ecoupled's plans.

As Intel researcher, Alanson Sample, told the BBC: "The next stage we are thinking about is to wirelessly recharge devices like laptops and cell phones so we are shrinking the size of the coils down to the size of laptops.

"The coils would be embedded in a monitor or a picture frame or desk. It's really compelling for the mobile device where you would be able to recharge your device as you enter one of these areas."

Don't get too excited, though. Intel says the technology's five years away at the earliest. No doubt a bit of shrinking's needed in the meantime to cut those enormous coils down to laptop size.

[ BBC]