Sony develops wireless energy transfer

Sony has developed a system that allows energy to be transferred wirelessly to equipment. For the time being, the Japanese company has developed a prototype that can bridge about fifty centimeters.

The wireless energy transport system can wirelessly transmit a power of 60W to date. The technique is based on magnetic induction and would work over a distance of up to half a meter. The technology works in a similar way to the way in which an electric toothbrush is charged, but is able to bridge a small distance. However, the efficiency decreases due to the wireless transmission: the Sony prototype delivers only sixty percent of the energy transmitted to the device as usable power.

The test setup shows a TV that is supplied with power wirelessly, but laptops and other devices, ranging from hardware with a low to a high consumption, should eventually be able to be supplied with voltage via wireless technology. In the future, Sony wants to increase the range and also increase the amount of power delivered. However, the company has not yet given an indication when the wireless energy technology will be found in consumer products.