Intel Demonstrates New Wireless Electric Power System

Intel Demonstrates New Wireless Electric Power System Imagine walking through the airport with your laptop and having it charged wirelessly as you move along. Although this future concept might seem far away, Intel recently demonstrated a way to safely transmit electricity through the air to power electronics. Analysts say this new technology could revolutionize modern life by allowing electronic devices to receive wireless power without any cords or wires involved. During the annual Developer’s Forum in California, Intel associates managed to transmit a wireless electric current to a lamp on stage, lighting a 60 watt bulb that uses more power than a typical laptop computer. Above all, the transmission of electricity flowed without electrocuting or damaging anything in its path. According to Intel, 25 percent of power is lost during transmission, but further research and development could definitely decrease power loss. “Something like this technology could be embedded in tables and work surfaces,” said Justin Rattner, Intel’s chief technology officer, “so as soon as you put down an appropriately equipped device it would immediately begin drawing power.” So how did they do it? "The trick with wireless power is not can you do it; it's can you do it safely and efficiently," Intel researcher Josh Smith said in an online video explaining the breakthrough. "It turns out the human body is not affected by magnetic fields; it is affected by electric fields. So what we are doing is transmitting energy using the magnetic field not the electric field."