WiGL and Energous Corporation have announced the next phase of their partnership. The collaboration aims to develop and commercialise touchless wireless charging IoT products through wireless power networks, enabling wireless power transmission over distance (tWPT Project).
This announcement marks the second phase of the WiGL project, funded early last year by the Air Force Research Lab at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), to develop and design tWPT products for military and commercial use. The recently completed initial phase of the project involved a proof-of-concept (POC) demonstration by Energous and WiGL of a tWPT network including multiple Energous PowerBridges sending power over-the-air to recharge power banks and IoT lighting devices. In the second phase of the project, Energous’ PowerBridges will continue to provide radio frequency-based (RF) wireless power over distance for WiGL’s tWPT networks.
“Our partnership with WiGL is an additional example of how Energous’ products are enabling wireless power deployment and commercialisation,” says Cesar Johnston, president and CEO of Energous. “Energous has been focusing on increasing the number of IoT wireless power network POC’s with an end goal to bring those to production. We are happy to see our technology empowering the creation of highly flexible IoT device designs, while simultaneously addressing the skyrocketing IT costs and environmental hazards associated with disposable batteries and charging cables. This collaboration is a significant milestone in this journey, and we are incredibly excited to embark on this next phase alongside WiGL.”
Enabling IoT devices to receive wireless power over distance helps eliminate their dependence on charging cables, open ports or battery doors, greatly reducing potential complications to their physical integrity while ensuring they are consistently charged at all times. RF-based wireless power networks, an ecosystem of technologies including transmitters and receivers that enable wireless power transmission across any distance for a wide range of applications, also lead to reduced downtime and lower maintenance costs while increasing range of coverage and overall efficiency.
“We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of 8 out of 8 contracted tasks for the esteemed DoD, which has paved the way for our latest accomplishment of a follow-on multi-year contract. This new contract entails the design and delivery of cutting-edge over-the-air touchless Wireless Power Transfer (tWPT) capabilities to the DoD,” states Ahmad Glover, founder of WiGL.
“By combining Energous’ extensive decade-long expertise in the field and regulatory know-how with WiGL’s advanced networking solutions, we are poised to bring the first generation of lighting products to life; with follow-on second and third generations of tWPT products to follow. This follow-on contract from the DoD allows us to continue finalising our inaugural product line expanding into new products and IoT applications for the future. For instance, WiGL is looking forward to launching a consumer tWPT LED lighting system this year,” adds Glover.
Energous PowerBridges are designed to drive transformation across the entire IoT ecosystem. These devices are designed not only to have the capability of wirelessly charging multiple devices simultaneously from a distance using RF-based wireless power, but also to function as data links for connected devices, enabling them to communicate valuable data and insights back to the cloud.
To learn more about Energous, please visit Energous or follow the company’s corporate pages on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
To learn more about WiGL, please visit WiGL or follow the company on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Comment on this article below or via Twitter: @IoTNow_OR @jcIoTnow
