Official News - page 9

REAL LIFE NEWS: POWER TO THE PEOPLE

by Hazed

If you have an electric toothbrush you will already have a demonstration of how something can receive power without wires. When the toothbrush is placed on the base, electromagnetic induction charges it up. Current from the mains passes through a coil in the base to produce a magnetic field, and that in turn induces current in a coil inside the device being charged.

Now Japanese researchers think they've found a way to use this effect to provide wireless power to all kinds of household gadgets. The trick is to print the necessary circuitry onto thin plastic sheets, which could then line surfaces such as walls and countertops. When an electronic device comes within an inch or so, the circuits detect its presence and switch on the nearest sender coil. This holds out the possibility of televisions, stereos or computers being powered by the wall they sit next to or the shelf or desk they sit upon.

Right now, the technology can transmit 40 watts of power but they hope to increase this to 100 watts within a few years. It certainly would be great to get rid of the power cords!

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