Despite all the “wireless charging”technology available, there are still plenty of power cables slithering through homes. Even wireless charging stations require a cord. That’s what makes the forthcoming advent of wireless over-the-air charging, which transfers power without a cable or pad, exciting. So far, the technology has been limited to commercial use in the US, but Belkin is expected to release true wireless charging for individuals this year.
Headquartered in California, Belkin offers a variety of consumer technologies, including Apple MagSafe-enabled wireless charging cradles and speakers. On Wednesday, it announced a partnership with Wi-Charge to create consumer products that support wireless charging. The Israeli company says its technology uses infrared rays to deliver up to 1W of power to devices within a 40-foot radius.
The announcement didn’t specify which Belkin product would include Wi-Charge technology, but Ori Mohr, chief commercial officer and co-founder of Wi-Charge, told TechCrunch that it would be a “consumer-centric product”to launch sometime this year. Mohr pointed to Belkin’s businesses in charging accessories, smart home devices and power lines as areas that would benefit from wireless charging.
Mohr also told TechCrunch that we can expect Wi-Charge to release a second consumer product in 2022. If this happens, the Belkin product and unannounced second device should join the company’s smartwatch, indoor security camera, air monitor and smart tracker. French brand Archos that supports wireless power.
“The future of charging has been moving from wired to wireless for years, and we expect wireless charging to accelerate this evolution,” said Brian Van Harlingen, CTO at Belkin.
While Wi-Charge doesn’t provide specific product details, it’s easy to imagine how the technology could make it easier to charge household appliances, from electronic toothbrushes to smart speakers. Smartphones are another big area where wireless charging can benefit, and Ossia, the company that partnered with Archos, has already shown how this can be done. In 2020, he showed me a Spigen-branded smartphone case that uses wireless charging to power the smartphone.
Wi-Charge is also showing interest in bringing its technology into homes with game console controllers, smart locks, curtains and faucets.
Convert electricity to IR
The Wi-Charge technology that Belkin has subscribed to uses a transmitter connected to AC or DC power to deliver up to 1W of power to devices with a Wi-Charge receiver. The transmitter is tiny, measuring 3.7 x 3.7 x 1.6 inches, according to the Wi-Charge website. The site also says that the transmitter has an 80 degree coverage angle. The demo photos on the Wi-Charge website show the transmitter mounted on the ceiling as a smoke detector.
According to Wi-Charge, the transmitter “converts electricity into harmless infrared rays”. The receiver then “charges an internal rechargeable battery or supercapacitor”that uses the device with the receiver and receives power. The receiver can also send device data, such as how much battery power is left and usage statistics, to the transmitter.
For those worried about infrared rays shooting all over the house, Wi-Charge only kicks in when it detects a device with a capable receiver. The Wi-Charge transmitter must be in line of sight with the device it powers to work, unlike Ossia technology. The transmitter will not send anything unless the receiver is within range.
Navigation rules
Federal regulations are a major barrier to true wireless charging for smartphones and other consumer products. Ossia, for example, detailed its journey for years for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval and finally received its first approval in March.
Since Wi-Charge operates using infrared technology and not radio waves like the Ossia product, it requires US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
“In the United States, for historical reasons, the FDA is the appropriate authority to approve infrared devices, not the FCC,” Mohr of Wi-Charge Digital Trends said in 2017, when Wi-Charge received FDA approval. “Technically the FCC also has to approve Wi-Charge, but since we use infrared, it’s not difficult for us to get FCC approval because Wi-Charge is technically outside the FCC’s purview.”
Wi-Charge’s announcement on Wednesday noted that it is CE, UL and FDA certified. I have asked the company about its status with the FCC and will update this article if I get a response.
Belkin is a big name in technology, so its partnership with Wi-Charge is good news for tackling cable clutter. However, neat freaks will have to be patient. After all, in 2019, Ossia announced its partnership with Spigen to produce wireless charging smartphone cases, and we’re still waiting for an update.