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Airnergy, energy charger from WiFi?

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computerlove
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13 Jan 2010, 12:59 am

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/airn ... ist-video/

basically it claims to charge energy from multiple available WiFi signals


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Apple_in_my_Eye
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13 Jan 2010, 4:55 am

Isn't WiFi really low power, tho? I think to significantly charge something you'd have to be getting somewhat microwave-cooked, with all the RF energy in the air.

Cool concept, though.



kc8ufv
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13 Jan 2010, 7:33 am

Though it is possible to get energy wirelessly (that's actually how Crystal set radios work, and how transformers work) wifi would not likely be a practical source for a couple reasons. It is very low power (100mW is a typical max for a transmitter), and ultra high frequency (yes that is the correct technical term). Though the high frequency does make parts smaller, it makes it so there are many more obstacles to it's transmission. This is why in a typical home, you only may see 2 or 3 access points total, including your own.



pakled
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13 Jan 2010, 12:02 pm

Holy Tesla!...;)


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zer0netgain
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13 Jan 2010, 12:20 pm

Apple_in_my_Eye wrote:
Isn't WiFi really low power, tho? I think to significantly charge something you'd have to be getting somewhat microwave-cooked, with all the RF energy in the air.

Cool concept, though.


+1

Not to say they'll never perfect it, but honestly, if you can run something that would power an AC or DC device via sending electricity through the air, I doubt it will be safe to sit around all day.

The health impacts of large amounts of RF radiation are well documented.

If they were harvesting the natural "free energy" that's always going on, I doubt it would provide enough power to accomplish much of anything.



iamnotaparakeet
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13 Jan 2010, 12:39 pm

zer0netgain wrote:
If they were harvesting the natural "free energy" that's always going on, I doubt it would provide enough power to accomplish much of anything.


Yeah, probably would get more wattage from burning a piece of celery. Radio waves decrease wattage by the radius squared firstly, and if someone set up a large enough antenna system to run a household on, such would be extremely visible from space.



DNForrest
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13 Jan 2010, 2:18 pm

Sounds like a great new way to get testicular cancer.



Keith
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13 Jan 2010, 5:28 pm

DNForrest wrote:
Sounds like a great new way to get tesla cancer.


That's what I thought it was .... :lol:

I think it would be better to have solar power chargers and just have some capacitors that will hold excess electricity so when it's dark, the capacitors/batteries will take over.



monsterland
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13 Jan 2010, 5:43 pm

It will be shortly forbidden by FCC because it will reduce efficiency of surrounding wireless networks. It will be like driving around the neighborhood with a buzzing microwave.



greengeek
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20 Jan 2010, 8:21 pm

It would probably knock off anything else that transmits on the same frequency as WiFi so it can take all the power.


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