Researchers from the Ohio State University are ready to bring out some new technology which will address the ever-growing problem of battery life in mobile devices, particularly in smartphones. The new technology doesn’t have a proper name yet, but what it does is capture the phone’s wasted energy and gives your battery 30% more charge per use. Now tell me if there’s anyone out there who doesn’t want that?
Basically, what the tech does is this – the circuitry converts some of the radio signals coming from a smartphone into direct current (DC) power, which then charges the phone’s battery. Pretty simple, and pretty innovative. “When we communicate with a cell tower or Wi-Fi router, so much energy goes to waste,” explained Chi-Chih Chen, research associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. “We recycle some of that wasted energy back into the battery.”
This new technology is lightweight, and can be built into a cell phone case without adding a big amount weight to your device. The research team has partnered with a spin-off company that will develop the technology for the market. They are then planning a Kickstarter campaign in June to crowd-fund the development.
According to Robert Lee, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Ohio State, nearly 97 percent of cell phone signals never reach their destination and are simply lost. Not all of it can be recaptured and used, but Lee said that the invention works on the fact that some of these signals can be re-used. “No one can charge a cell phone from the air, but we can reduce power consumption by retrieving some of those lost [energy]. Think of it as a battery extender rather than a charger,” Lee said.
SOURCE: Ohio State University
