Wireless charging is in the news at CES in various form factors and applications. A six-in-one, MFi-certified, Qi-based nightstand charger and device organizer from Pita incorporates a convertible lightning USB-C tablet charger, standard USB type-A and USB-C side ports and a storage drawer. The Air Omni supports charging for up to six iOS and Android devices including smartphones, a smartwatch, wireless earbuds, tablet and other devices, it said. Price wasn’t given. Energous’ WattUp technology is being shown in personal sound amplification devices from SK Telesys, NewSound and Serene Innovations. Energous and ZPower are showcasing their micro-battery wireless reference design aimed at small electronic devices such as hearing aids. All five sensors in The Gokhale Method’s SpineTracker are charged by WattUp from a single charging service, Energous said. New York-based startup Yank Technologies is showing a center console wireless charger for the automotive market based on three-dimensional antenna arrays and new amplifier designs, it said. Yank is demonstrating the technology in Eureka Park with output power of approximately 20 watts, capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously, it said. The company is also showcasing its MotherBox, calling it the “first true wireless charger with no contact required.”
Energous is working with SK Telesys and PiBex to develop an ultra-wideband tracking tag for Korea-based steel manufacturer Posco, the wireless charging company said Thursday. The tag enables location-tracking for security and employee safety in industrial factories, it said. Energous, whose efforts to land its wireless charging technology in CE products have fallen short, said the Posco move is a “step forward” into the industrial market. Energous’ WattUp wireless charging technology is applicable for industrial use because of its “scalability, small footprint and our ability to charge both at contact as well as at-a-distance,” said CEO Stephen Rizzone. The company didn’t respond to questions on the status of regulatory approvals in Korea or other Asian countries.
Energous announced availability of a wireless charging developer kit for smart glasses. It’s the third such kit to be made available to potential customers of the company’s WattUp wireless charging technology. The kit includes a transmitter reference design with power supply, receiver reference design, mobile app, user guide, data sheets, transmitter schematic, software developer kit and guide and antenna design guide, it said Tuesday.
Accessory maker Catalyst is taking preorders for waterproof add-on cases for the AirPod Pro earphones, with shipping slated for January. The cases are waterproof down to 3.3 feet and drop-resistant to 4 feet, said the company. Cases have Qi wireless charging pads and an opening for the AirPod’s lightning connector. The textured version is $34.95; standard version is $29.99. Both will be available in red, black or blue, said the website.
Energous closed down 18 percent Friday to $2.32 after more disappointing results. “We are not where we expected to be from a revenue standpoint,” said CEO Stephen Rizzone on a Thursday call, citing lack of regulatory approvals in Asia as the cause of product delays for its wireless charging technology. The company, which received FCC approval for its WattUp midfield transmitter in 2017, posted Q3 revenue of $40,500, down from $228,000 in the year-ago quarter. Rizzone said it's possible a certification in China, Japan or Korea could open opportunities to some tier 1 global requirements that have been “put on hold” until certification. The company is now targeting medical sensors, smart glasses and wearables.
WiTricity contracted with South Korea-based Green Power for wireless electric vehicle charging systems, it said Tuesday. Green Power will base its wireless power transfer products on WiTricity’s Drive 11 reference designs that deliver 11 kilowatts of power at efficiency and speeds said to match those of plug-in EV chargers, with no compromises. The Drive 11 designs are expected to comply with upcoming SAE, ISO/IEC and GB (China) global standards, WiTricity said.
Wireless charging company Energous announced a partnership Wednesday with hearing aid company NewSound based on its WattUp personal sound amplification product reference design; NewSound is showcasing its Primo W hearing aid at a conference for hearing care professionals in Germany this week. In addition to wireless charging, device features include app control for charging status and battery monitoring and eight-channel digital signal processing hearing capabilities, Energous said. Wireless charging alleviates the “biggest pain point” for hearing aid users: the frequent need to replace the tiny batteries in the device, said Boyang Li, NewSound chief technology officer. Energous also announced Wednesday a partnership with ZPower, developer of silver-zinc rechargeable microbatteries. WattUp is well-suited to ZPower’s miniature applications, said Tim Powers, vice president-business development: wireless charging fits into its microbatteries and supports spatial freedom when charging devices, he said.
Formica entered the wireless charging space with a laminate surface incorporating Qi-compatible wireless charging coils. Citing “battery anxiety” among mobile device users, Formica said its Qi-certified Intentek wireless charging surface is targeted to commercial spaces such as hotels, airport lounges and restaurants. The Intentek system is integrated into a surface that’s available in more than 300 colors, brands and woodgrains, it said. Charge times are said to rival those of cord-based charging. Unlike wireless charging pads that "clutter the surface and can be easily damaged with food or water," Intentek is fully integrated into a "durable, easy-to-clean surface," said the company.
Infrared wireless charging company Wi-Charge is showing what it calls the first wireless power kit for the Echo Dot and Google Home mini at CEDIA Expo this week. Wi-Charge’s infrared light can power smart home devices across a room, the company emailed. Wi-Charge bills its technology as an alternative to batteries. The company will also show wireless powered lights, it said. Last month, it promoted two use cases for infrared wireless charging: battery and cable replacement and enabling new capabilities for product designers. Wireless power can deliver more power than batteries and without the physical limitations of power cables, it blogged; wireless power enables features that designers wouldn’t consider before because of the associated battery drain.
Zens will bow at IFA this week the first wireless charging stands with a lightning connector, said the company Wednesday. Filling in for Apple’s promise of the ill-fated, tri-charging AirCharge wireless charging pad, the Zens ZEDC07 ($139) simultaneously charges an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. Rather than charging from a pad, the ZEDC07, with a total 20-watt output, has a lean-back Qi charger for the phone and charges an Apple Watch from a customized charging transmitter mounted to a horizontal aluminum bar; the AirPods connect to the base of the unit via lightning. The watch module and lightning connector are Apple MFi-certified, it said. A built-in USB port enables charging for a fourth device. Zens also is launching the ZESC13 wireless charger ($59), with 10-watt output for a single Qi device, and a 2.4-Amp USB port that allows wired iPad fast-charging. The 20-watt ZEDC06 ($99) wirelessly charges two devices simultaneously; a built-in USB port charges a third device, said the company.