In a world where wires still dominate power transfer, a new revolution is quietly unfolding: wireless power transfer.
Imagine the convenience of being able to charge your smartphone or electric toothbrush without having to find an outlet or unravel complicated cords. Imagine a digital display at the edge of a supermarket shelf, silently drawing power from what appears to be empty air to illuminate product details and sales.
This futuristic scenario is more than just imagination. Wi charge.
Wi-Charge was founded 10 years ago by Israeli engineers and has only recently begun to gain traction. The company has developed AirCord technology that can power devices from a distance. It uses infrared (IR) technology to wirelessly transmit power to various devices.
The Wi-Charge system works as follows. Plug the transmitter into a regular power outlet or truck light. These transmitters convert electricity into a safe infrared beam. It then finds nearby devices and sends infrared energy to them.
Each device must have a Wi-Charge receiver connected. These receivers catch the infrared beam and convert it back into electricity. This electricity charges the device's battery or capacitor, and the device uses it to power itself up.
One transmitter can cover a fairly large area of approximately 130 square meters. Moreover, the gadget can get much more power (say 10x to 100x) than from the battery alone.
The company's founders, Ori Mor and Ortal Alpert, have enjoyed great success in Israel's high-tech industry even before Wi-Charge was born. In addition to founding his SaaS mobile engagement platform, which was acquired by Teradata, Mor spent 11 years in the Research and Development Unit of the Electronic Research Directorate of the Israel Defense Forces. Alpert, who identified and developed the core technology behind Wi-Charge, founded an optical storage startup and developed algorithms for companies listed on NASDAQ.
“We came to Wi-Charge from a place of innovation that solves complex problems, making the impossible possible,” Mol explained to The Jerusalem Post from his office in Tel Aviv.
But both Mol and Alpert admitted they didn't anticipate the challenges that would come with developing this type of wireless charging technology.
“Communicating through wireless devices has created a $3 trillion industry and changed our lives forever. But there's just one problem: those annoying cords,” he says, holding a white charger. Mr Mo said. “It's a hassle to charge, so we decided to solve that problem.”
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The team decided to develop the building blocks of the technology.
Mol wasn't sure whether it was “foolishness, naivety or optimism” that prompted him to start his research, but the journey turned out to be much more complicated than he had originally anticipated, and he spent eight years on it. He said that extensive research and development was necessary. When they finally succeeded, they noticed two things about him. The first is that we achieved our goal, and the second is that we are the only company in the world to achieve our goal.
Wi-Charge is now installed in devices in 10 countries, including powering billboards in retail stores, Alfred intelligent door locks in residential buildings, and some touchless appliances in hotels. and will soon be introduced in other public spaces and office buildings. And if possible, a house too.
Wi-Charge is not yet used to charge mobile phones.
Mol explained that the technology is safe because the infrared light is transmitted directly from the transmitter to the receiver in a focused beam. No matter how far apart, the power remains constant. Additionally, it is more environmentally friendly than other power sources as it does not flood the environment with unnecessary radiation.
Mor showed a number of videos showing Wi-Charge's system in action. He highlighted one particular device: an electric toothbrush charging station. These stations cannot be purchased, but were used to showcase the technology. Mo noted that they always generate excitement.
In recent months, the company has received inquiries from more than one Fortune 10 company. Mol said he expects the technology to scale to support hundreds of applications across about 20 industries.
The company has been featured in major mainstream publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Wired.
Currently, acquiring a system is similar to purchasing a Wi-Fi router. That means it's a device you buy to provide the service, and it can add about $100 to the cost of the device you use it on. However, Mol said that within the next 10 years he imagines Wi-Charge will become a standard part of home design.
“Wireless charging functionality will be built into lighting fixtures,” Mol said. “When you build a house, architects will ask you how many wireless power points you want, just like they ask how many power points you want today.”
He says, “Once every 20 to 30 years, a new building block is thrown onto the playground and companies around it start innovating their products and services. Things of this kind include search engines, flat panel TVs, transistors… , ChatGPT, mRNA etc.
“The ability to power devices remotely falls into this category,” Mor continued. “It's new. It doesn't exist…and it's made in Israel.”
