WiTricity builds wireless charging system in Dell laptops

WiTricity, a company that specializes in wireless charging, has shown on the Computex Dell laptops that charge wirelessly when placed on a designated charging mat. The applied charging technique uses a magnetic field.

The Dell laptops shown at the Computex are powered with approximately 30 watts of wirelessly transmitted energy. Cnet writes that the CEO of WiTricity has said that WiTricity uses a technique that allows them to properly direct the magnetic field. It should also be possible to integrate the system into marble or wooden surfaces, such as tables and kitchens. This would allow users to charge laptops by placing them on the table.

The magnetic field technique is different from that of the competing standard Qi from the Wireless Power Consortium. It uses electromagnetic induction between two coils. With magnetic resonance it is not necessary for a device to make direct contact with the charging surface and the placement does not have to be as precise.

WiTricity is a member of the AirFuel alliance, an alliance of the Alliance for Wireless Power and the Power Matters Alliance founded late last year. The AirFuel alliance consists of 195 companies, and has set itself the goal of making magnetic resonance technology and induction compatible with each other.

WiTricity targets more industries including automotive, military, industrial, medical and consumer electronics. For cars, the company thinks it is useful if wireless charging can be carried out, with a medical device it can be useful if something placed deep in the body can still be charged. With industry, the company thinks of places that are difficult to reach or places with conditions that make it very difficult to lay a cable.

For the military, the company has devised a variety of applications, such as wireless charging of all kinds of equipment that a soldier nowadays carries with him, such as night vision goggles. Whether and when Dell will actually release laptops with this technology is unknown.