super-close-range wireless charger

[dpopiz]

do you think it would be possible to have a "contactless charger" where by you just drop your cell, pda, mp3, camera, bluetooth headset, laptop, etc next to a charging widget, without actually inserting a cable or physically conecting contacts?

I was thinking maybe you could just have this charger widget that sends out very low power very high frequency (100GHz or something) radio waves. and a device that is designed to charge by it would have a little antenna in it connected to a capacitor that gets charged by the waves and creates a constant DC current.

 

[imported_booradley]

Already exists.

 

[dpopiz]

I believe the inductive system you linked requires that the objects be carefully placed right side up (and possibly also aligned a certain way) on the pad, which takes just as much time/effort as connecting a cable or dropping it in a dock.

I thought the RF charger idea would be good because you can literally just drop your gadgets next to it.

 

[cy7878]

technology is already there. Can't make the wave to strong because of FCC rules.

 

[pakigang]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla#Wireless_and_the_AIEE

 

[lapierrem]

the ps3 or x-box 360 has this shipping in it

 

[garkon]

Good idea, maybe a bowl u could drop ur cell phone in to charge it.

 

[AluminumStudios]

Like other's pointed out it already exists. My girlfriend's electric razor uses it.

If you pass a conductive metal through a magentic field current flows. I would assume that her charger base emits a magnetic field which indunces current flow inside a charger in the shaver unit which is connected to the batteries.

 

[dpopiz]

Originally posted by: AluminumStudios
Like other's pointed out it already exists. My girlfriend's electric razor uses it.

If you pass a conductive metal through a magentic field current flows. I would assume that her charger base emits a magnetic field which indunces current flow inside a charger in the shaver unit which is connected to the batteries.

this is an inductive charger -- see my second post in this thread

 

[Sahakiel]

Originally posted by: dpopiz

Originally posted by: AluminumStudios
Like other's pointed out it already exists. My girlfriend's electric razor uses it.

If you pass a conductive metal through a magentic field current flows. I would assume that her charger base emits a magnetic field which indunces current flow inside a charger in the shaver unit which is connected to the batteries.

this is an inductive charger -- see my second post in this thread

2 wires + 2 diodes = orientation problem solved.
DC-DC converter = alignment problem solved.

conclusion: product exists.

 

[JJ650]

Wasn't there some issue of the Russian's trying to recharge their bugging eqipment in an American Embassy by using microwaves to recharge the batteries on these devices? The idea didn't go as planned because the microwaves were causing some of the embassy employees to become suddenly ill and suffer from migraines. I recall my physics proffessors musing about this one day.