‘Power Router’ can wirelessly charge equipment

The start-up Energous has shown a wireless charging system at CES that can wirelessly charge different devices in a room. The WattUp system, which uses a ‘Power Router’, directs RF signals to compatible devices over distances of up to six meters.

The WattUp System’s Power Router recognizes compatible devices via a low-energy Bluetooth connection. Based on this information, mobile devices can be located, after which devices that have a small, special chip on board can be charged with targeted RF signals on the 2.4 GHz band.

According to Energous, the WattUp system can wirelessly charge various devices from up to six meters away. The efficiency would be around seventy percent. An Energous employee told Engadget that the charging system can prioritize devices with a low battery in the charging process. It is also possible to set via an app when a device should start the charging process.

No devices have yet been announced that have the necessary chip on board as standard. However, the chips can be included in, for example, phone cases. The start-up is currently looking for companies that want to use its WattUp technology. A deal has already been concluded with Foxconn, among others. The company expects the first concrete products to hit the market in 2016.