Powercast Wins TWICE 2025 Picks Award for Industry-Leading Matter-Compliant Smart Home Sensors

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Battery-free wireless sensors powered perpetually over the air eliminate battery maintenance and reduce environmental impact

Powercast Corporation, the industry’s only one-stop shop for wireless power, announces that its Matter-Compliant, Wirelessly-Powered Smart Home Automation Sensor Technology has been named a winner in this year’s CES Picks Awards within the TWICE category.

Judged by a panel of industry experts, the Picks Awards recognizes the best new products on display at CES. According to the editorial team, “The Picks Awards recognize outstanding products across consumer technology, the custom installation industry and innovative new technology that can truly help businesses of all sizes across various industries.”

Matter-Compliant, Wireless Smart Home Automation Sensor Technology Powered Perpetually Over the Air:

Powercast’s award-winning technology lets manufacturers create and perpetually power sustainable, untethered, battery-free wireless smart home automation sensors (window, door, temperature, light, humidity, water, and motion sensors), that will: 1) integrate into smart-home ecosystems (Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings) using Matter (connectivity standard) and Thread (wireless protocol), 2) install anywhere, 3) eliminate the need for expensive home wiring, and 4) eliminate batteries and their inconvenient, expensive maintenance.

Powercast created two sensors – water detection and window position – to demonstrate its technology at CES. The sensors are powered over the air by an RF transmitter. One transmitter can power all sensors installed up to 25 feet away, so placing a few transmitters throughout the home can power all sensors installed in the home.

“We are honored that our solution for creating sustainable wireless smart home sensors is resonating across the industry, already winning three awards so far,” said Charles Greene, Ph.D., COO and CTO of Powercast. “The TWICE CES 2025 Picks Award is the third award for our technology, following being named a CES 2025 Innovation Awards Honoree in the Sustainability & Energy/Power category, and a finalist in the 2024 Best of Sensors Converge Awards.”

Greene continued, “Over the last 20 years, Powercast’s wireless power technology has saved hundreds of millions of batteries from landfills, so we are honored that TWICE has recognized our efforts to reduce waste and support a greener future. Our solution for sustainable wireless sensors eliminates charging, replacing or disposing of batteries because battery-free sensors are wirelessly charged, perpetually powered, and provide 24/7 intelligence with zero downtime.”

Powercast Unveils Wirelessly-Powered Products at CES: Smart Lacrosse Ball, Award-Winning Home Sensors, Magnetic Resonance Applications and More

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Poised for explosive growth, the wireless power market is projected to reach US $52.4 billion by 2030. Leading this trend, Powercast Corporation—the industry’s only one-stop shop—will showcase its latest wirelessly-powered innovations at CES 2025 (Venetian Expo, booth #51716, January 7-10, Las Vegas). “We’re experiencing growing demand as both industrial and consumer markets prioritize sustainable and efficient power solutions,” explains Charles Greene, Ph.D., COO and CTO of Powercast, “which fuels our commitment to continuous innovation in wireless power technology.”

Experience the Future of Wireless Power with Powercast at CES 2025

Some of the wirelessly-powered products that Powercast will showcase include:

  • Magnetic Resonance Over-the-Air Charging: Powercast is joining forces with Etherdyne Technologies (ETI) to advance wireless power transfer technology in 2025. In the sneak peek  CES, the companies will demonstrate the Wire-Free Power™ Minimalist Deskwhich is capable of providing up to 100 Watts of power to multiple devices simultaneously, all without wires. The desk demonstration features a computer monitor, laptop charging stand, desk lamp, and Qi-compatible phone charger, all powered wirelessly over the air using magnetic resonance technology. “We are excited to team with Powercast, combining our Wire-Free Power™ technology with Powercast’s vision of delivering ubiquitous wire-free products,” said Jeff Yen, Co-Founder and CEO of ETI. “ETI’s system creates a 3D magnetic energy field that covers spaces as small as a shoebox (0.1 cubic meters) or as large as an entire room (200 cubic meters), providing flexibility for manufacturers developing wire-free, battery-free devices.”
  • R1 Smart Lacrosse Ball with Over-the-Air RF (Radio Frequency) Charging: The Smart Lacrosse Ball, the first product built on the SmartCore platform crafted by Get Reps, combines technology with the durability and performance of a traditional lacrosse ball. High-precision accelerometers and gyroscopes embedded in the SmartCore track shot speed, reps, release metrics, and ball movement, and the analytics data automatically updates via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to a phone app to provide actionable insights to players and coaches to enhance performance. “Powercast’s advanced RF wireless charging technology is a perfect power solution for the smart ball because it can charge the battery through a ball, keeping the design and balance, because it needs no external charging ports or coils,” said Joe Pompo, Co-Founder/CEO at Get Reps. “We are excited to implement this technology into other sports balls in 2025.”
  • Wireless Smart Home Automation Sensor Technology with Over-the-Air RF Charging: A CES Innovation Awards Honoree in the Sustainability/Energy Category, this technology lets manufacturers create and perpetually power sustainable, untethered, battery-free wireless smart home automation sensors (window, door, temperature, light, humidity, water, and motion sensors), that will: 1) integrate into smart-home ecosystems (Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings) using Matter (connectivity standard) and Thread (wireless protocol), 2) install anywhere, 3) eliminate the need for expensive home wiring, and 4) eliminate batteries and their inconvenient, expensive maintenance. Powercast is demonstrating two sensors – water detection and window – at CES.


Powering a Battery-Free Future

Powercast empowers its partners to create sustainable, wirelessly-powered electronic devices—with or without rechargeable batteries—eliminating the inconvenience and expense of battery maintenance while significantly reducing the environmental impact of disposable batteries. This approach keeps batteries out of landfills and promotes a more sustainable future.

Other wirelessly-powered product demos displayed at CES will include:

  • Battery-free tire monitoring sensors powered over the air using RF, which can even penetrate rubber, that can be sealed into tires and other products that are either hard to access or in motion.
  • Provided via Powercast’s partnership with Powermat, powerful, contact-based SmartInductiveTM charging designed for power-hungry products such as drones, robots, power tools, micro-mobility and medical devices.
  • RFID readers are already installed in the retail, warehousing and logistics industries – and now also used by the Digital Product Passport (DPP) initiative passed by the EU – and can serve as the RF power source for Powercast to power products instead of having to install RF transmitters.

“Our vision is a world where power is ubiquitous, sustainable, wire-free, and seamlessly accessible,” states Greene. “Our ultimate goal is true wireless freedom through an ecosystem of connected transmitters and receivers, both in the public and private domains, which provide people, products and machines the ability to move around freely with seamless access to power.”

Powercast’s Wireless Power Named Finalist in Defense Innovation Challenge

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Powercast has announced that its broad range of wireless power technologies – including long-range Radio-Frequency (RF) charging and close-range high-power SmartInductive charging – were named Finalists in the Defense Innovation Challenge, Microelectronics & Sensors Category. The Defense Innovation Challenge connects cutting-edge technologies with the Department of Defense (DOD), focusing on dual-use innovations that serve both civilian and government needs. All finalists are invited to present their technologies to the nation’s top military, industry and investment leaders at Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit and Expo, being held in Austin, TX, December 3 – 5.

Powercast’s RF and SmartInductive wireless charging technologies enable sustainable, environmentally-friendly devices that are either battery free or use rechargeable batteries, both of which keep single-use disposable batteries out of landfills and eliminate the expense and hassles of battery maintenance.

Additionally, Powercast’s technology can enable perpetually powered, remote sensor devices.  An example is Powercast’s Wireless Building Automation Sensor and Controller System which enables  advanced HVAC environmental monitoring and wirelessly-controllable lighting for commercial buildings. Featuring Powercast’s Lifetime Power® sensors that last 25 years, this solution costs 40% less to install than wired systems, and significantly cuts energy costs, battery maintenance, and e-waste.

“We are excited to be chosen to present our technologies which eliminate wires, battery e-waste and the hassle and expense of battery maintenance,” said Charles Greene, Ph.D., COO and CTO of Powercast. “Our solutions are powering a cleaner, more sustainable world and solve problems across many industries, including government and defense applications.”

Greene continued, “Our long-range, one-to-many RF charging technology is transforming wireless sensor networks (WSNs), converting previously-limited sensors and tags into lifetime devices that work in locations where battery replacement is impossible. RF power sources – including RF transmitters or the standard RFID readers already widely used in many industries – can provide efficient and reliable wireless power over the air, powering many devices up to 120 feet away, ensuring a continuous stream of real-time data to all connected devices.”

For more powerful charging, Powercast’s SmartInductive transfers up to a kilowatt of power to charge one product at a time at close range. “A hybrid inductive/resonance technology, SmartInductive is more forgiving than traditional inductive because the transmitter and receiver can tolerate misalignment and offset,” explained Greene. “More flexibility in alignment easily enables completely autonomous charging of robots, drones, micro-mobility, medical and other high-power devices, reducing downtime and operational costs.”

Denise Lee, Defense Innovation Challenge, said, “Our mission is to accelerate innovation for the nation.  Powercast is a Finalist in our 2024 Defense TechConnect Innovation Challenge and we are delighted they can join us in Austin.”

 

 

 

Powercast Named as CES Innovation Awards Honoree in Sustainability/Energy Category for Matter-Compliant, Wirelessly-Powered Smart Home Sensor Technology

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Powercast Corporation, the one-stop-shop for wireless power, announces it has been named a CES Innovation Awards 2025 Honoree in the Sustainability & Energy/Power category for it’s Wireless Smart Home Automation Sensor Technology. The announcement comes ahead of CES 2025, happening Jan. 7 – 10 in Las Vegas, where Powercast will demonstrate its technology in the Venetian Expo, booth #51716.

The CES Innovation Awards program is an annual competition honoring outstanding design and engineering in 33 consumer technology categories. An elite panel of industry expert judges, including members of the media, designers, engineers, and more, reviewed submissions – a record number of over 3400 submissions this year – based on innovation, engineering and functionality, aesthetic and design.

Powercast’s Wireless Smart Home Automation Sensor Technology lets manufacturers easily create and perpetually power sustainable, untethered, battery-free wireless smart home automation sensors, such as window, door, temperature, light, humidity, water and motion sensors, that will:

• Easily integrate into smart-home ecosystems (Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings) using Matter (connectivity standard) and Thread (wireless protocol)
• Install anywhere
• Eliminate the need for expensive home wiring
• Eliminate batteries and their inconvenient, expensive maintenance
• Keep toxic disposable batteries out of landfills

“Over the last 20 years, Powercast’s wireless power has saved hundreds of millions of batteries from landfills, so we are honored CES recognized our efforts to reduce waste and support a greener future,” said Charles Greene, Ph.D., COO and CTO of Powercast. “Our solution for sustainable wireless sensors eliminates charging, replacing or disposing of batteries because battery-free sensors are wirelessly charged, perpetually powered, and provide 24/7 intelligence with zero downtime.”

How Powercast’s Wireless Smart Home Automation Sensor Technology works:

Powercast’s RF (Radio Frequency) over-the-air (OTA) wireless power technology perpetually powers battery-free sensors. Manufacturers embed the Powerharvester® PCC110 wireless RF receiver chip and a small antenna into their sensors so they can be powered wirelessly from nearby RF transmitters. One RF transmitter can power all sensors installed up to 25 feet away, so placing one in each room will create a wireless power network (WPN) able to power all RF-enabled sensors throughout the home.

Powercast’s technology works with the Matter smart home connectivity standard and Thread wireless communication/IEEE 802.15.4 mesh network, which ensures interoperability between devices and allows easy integration into industry ecosystems like Google Home, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings. Because Thread is designed to optimize performance in low-power devices, it uses less energy and maintains network stability by allowing devices to communicate over a dedicated, low-latency connection, making it ideal for Powercast’s low-power sensor network. Devices, such as intermittently-connected end devices, can remain idle and be powered entirely using Powercast technology, remaining powered once activated and while checking in with a Thread compatible router.

To demonstrate its technology at CES, in the Venetian Expo, booth #51716, Powercast will show a Matter-compliant, battery-free window sensor it developed that can be perpetually powered up to 25 feet away from an RF transmitter.

Powercast Unveils Maintenance-Free, Matter-Compliant, Wireless Smart Home Sensor Technology Powered Perpetually Over Air

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Powercast Corporation, the one-stop-shop for wireless power, will unveil next week at Sensors Converge (booth 915) a new technology solution, named a finalist in the Best of Sensors Awards program, for creating, deploying and perpetually powering sustainable, untethered, Matter-compliant wireless smart home automation sensors. These sensors: 1) integrate into smart home ecosystems (Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings) using Matter, 2) easily install anywhere, 3) eliminate the need for expensive home wiring, 4) won’t require inconvenient, expensive battery maintenance, and 5) keep toxic disposable batteries out of landfills.

Powercast’s Wireless Smart Home Automation Sensor solution is perpetually powered by the company’s RF (Radio Frequency) over-the-air (OTA) wireless charging technology. To enable either battery-free or rechargeable-battery-based sensors to power themselves over the air from nearby RF transmitters, manufacturers will embed Powercast’s tiny Powerharvester® PCC110 wireless RF receiver chip and a small antenna into their sensors for around $1 at volume, then use a rechargeable battery or no battery at all.

One RF transmitter in a room can power sensors installed up to 25 feet away, so placing one transmitter in each room will create a wireless power network able to perpetually power all the RF-enabled sensors throughout the home. There are also options for RF transmitters, including a licensable reference design that lets manufacturers integrate the electronics needed to convert their household products into Ubiquity™ RF transmitters (https://www.powercastco.com/transmitters/) for only $5 bill-of-material (BOM) cost.

“Smart home automation sensors exist, but are limited by wires and disposable batteries,” said Charles Greene, Ph.D., COO and CTO of Powercast. “Powercast’s solution for creating sustainable, untethered wireless sensors eliminates ever having to charge, replace or dispose of batteries because the sensors will be wirelessly charged, perpetually powered, and providing 24/7 intelligence with zero downtime.”

Range for OTA RF charging depends on how much power a device consumes; power-hungry devices must be closer to a transmitter while ultra-low-power devices like IoT sensors can work up to 120 feet away. Home automation sensors are low-power devices and hence good candidates for OTA charging. Sensor examples include contact (window, door), door lock, temperature, light, humidity, water, motion and many more.

Powercast’s technology works with the Matter smart home connectivity standard and Thread wireless communication protocol, which ensures interoperability between devices and allows easy integration into industry-standard ecosystems like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings. Because Thread uses the IEEE 802.15.4 mesh network which enables robust, efficient, low-power communication between devices, Thread-compliant devices inherently use less power, making them great candidates for OTA charging.

To showcase its Best of Sensors finalist technology, Powercast developed a window sensor it will demonstrate at Sensors Converge. Internal testing on this Powercast-designed, Matter-compliant low-power window sensor showed it can charge up to 25 feet away from the transmitter using the Nordic nRF52840 Thread-complaint microcontroller. At this distance, the battery will never have to be replaced.
® Cortex® M4 processor with floating point unit (FPU) and 1MB Flash memory and 256kB RAM, plus a 2.4GHz multiprotocol radio that supports Bluetooth 5, ANT™, Thread, Matter, Zigbee, IEEE 802.15.4, and proprietary 2.4GHz RF protocol software.”

The Powerharvester PCC110 receiver chip (in a SC-70 package) operates across a wide RF power (-17 to +20dBm) and frequency (10MHz to 6GHz) range to convert RF to DC with up to 75 percent efficiency.

“Nordic Semiconductor is pleased to collaborate with Powercast on its Matter and Thread-compatible Wireless Smart Home Automation Sensor Technology and Best of Sensors finalist demonstration platform,” said Vince Hagen P.E., Global Business Development Manager, Nordic Semiconductor. “The Nordic nRF52840 System-on-Chip, in conjunction with the Nordic nRF Connect Software Development Kit uniquely supports concurrent wireless connectivity of multiple protocols. The SoC combines a 64MHz, 32-bit Arm

Powercast Joins RAIN Alliance Sustainability Working Group, Explains RF Wireless Power’s Role in Sustainable RAIN RFID Systems

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Powercast Corporation, the industry’s one-stop-shop for wireless power, announced it has joined RAIN RFID Alliance’s Sustainability Working Group. This group’s goal is to provide education onhow RAIN RFID technology, already used worldwide for the item tracking necessary in inventory management, stock control, logistics, retail and other applications, can also be an enabler for companies to achieve their sustainability objectives.

What is RAIN RFID? RAIN Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a wireless technology that uses both handheld and fixed ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID inventory readers that are prevalent in industries around the globe to connect billions of everyday items to the internet. It enables businesses and consumers to identify, locate, authenticate and engage each item bearing an RFID tag or label.

The Sustainability Working Group just published a report, “Bridging the Gap – Connecting Corporate Sustainability with RAIN RFID,” based on a 20-company survey of apparel, automotive, healthcare and other companies. Findings include:

  • Data collected in existing RFID applications can also inform sustainability strategies, and there is evidence this is happening, but more education is needed to bridge RFID systems and sustainability efforts.
  • Many examples of how RFID can help address sustainability challenges already exist, including: 1) achieving inventory accuracy levels that reduce waste and keep excess goods out of landfills, 2) being able to anticipate the lifespan of a product to facilitate recycling and waste management, and 3) collecting environmental data related to CO2 reduction.

“Powercast is committed to initiatives furthering a brighter sustainable future for generations to come, so we’re excited to join like-minded companies in RAIN’s Sustainability Working Group,” said Charles Greene, Ph.D., COO and CTO of Powercast. “Since 2007, our wireless power technologies have enabled untethered devices that need no battery maintenance and reduce the e-waste – cables, cords and disposable batteries – that litters landfills.”

Charles Goetz, CEO of Powercast, will explain wireless power’s role in sustainable RAIN RFID systems at the Connections Summit 2024, organized by RAIN RFID Alliance and NFC Forum, in Taichung, Taiwan, from May 13th to 16th.

“Combining RAIN’s identification and communication capabilities with Powercast’s radio frequency (RF) to direct current (DC) conversion technology can create smart, sustainable, maintenance-free device ecosystems able to both recharge and communicate over the air without wires or disposable batteries,” continued Greene.

How Powercast’s Wireless RF Power Technology Combines with RAIN RFID to Add Functionality:

Since UHF RFID readers emit an RF signal that’s similar to that of Powercast’s RF wireless power transmitters, these readers can be a reliable source of wireless power. Powercast’s tiny Powerharvester® PCC110 receiver chip embedded in RFID tags or labels can harvest RF and data sent over the air from any RFID reader – whether it’s fixed infrastructure or a handheld reader used by employees – and convert that RF to usable DC to both power devices and communicate data. Range depends on power consumption level; most devices can function up to 20 feet from a reader, while ultra-low-power devices can work up to 120 feet away. Devices can either be batteryless or rechargeable-battery-based, which eliminates inconvenient and expensive battery replacement efforts and keeps disposable batteries out of landfills.

As examples, a Powerharvester embedded in an electronic paper display (EPD) tag such as a retail electronic shelf-edge label (ESL), or an environmental sensing or logistics tag can harvest RF when it comes within range of a UHF RFID reader.

Several EPD applications were recently developed using partner E Ink’s bi-stable digital ePaper screen that can maintain an image perpetually, without a constant power source, until another over-the-air wireless update is sent. These EPDs include a wireless electronic bag tag, which harvests RF from airport RFID equipment to refresh the passenger’s itinerary on the screen; and Powercast’s own batteryless ESL which enables over-the-air retail price updates.

Other RFID over-the-air wireless power applications include environmental monitoring, such as Powercast’s RFID Sensor Tags which measure temperature, light and humidity; logistics and advanced location tracking devices; and sensing devices on products such as tires.

Powercast’s Energy-Saving, Sustainable Building Automation Technology Receives Smart Buildings Innovation Award

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The Wireless 25-Year Maintenance-Free Building Automation Sensor and Controller Technology for HVAC, Lighting Saves Substantial Energy, Costs 40% Less than Wired Systems, Eliminates Battery Maintenance and Reduces Battery E-Waste

Powercast announced that its Wireless 25-Year Maintenance-Free Building Automation Sensor and Controller Technology for HVAC and Lighting Systems has received an  IoT Evolution Smart Buildings Innovation Award from IoT Evolution World. These awards acknowledge the companies behind the innovations transforming the way we design, construct, operate, and inhabit buildings.

Powercast’s sustainable building automation technology features revolutionary Lifetime Power® battery-powered sensors that last 25 years to provide wireless, maintenance-free, advanced HVAC and lighting control:

  • The wirelessly-controllable lighting technology achieves substantial energy savings because it can harvest and efficiently use daylight energy, auto dim, and turn off lights when motion sensors detect no occupants.
  • The HVAC system monitors environmental conditions including temperature, humidity, light, C02, differential pressure, contact closure, and more.

Such advanced environmental monitoring allows companies to embrace green initiatives, achieve LEED certification, adhere to regulatory requirements, and achieve significant cost savings through automation which can uncover patterns and insights to further optimize energy efficiency and identify potential issues before they arise.

“In an industry where most Building Automation Systems’ (BAS) batteries last 7-10 years, Powercast’s battery-powered sensors instead last 25 years for a lifetime sensing and environmentally-friendly solution, eliminating both the hassle and expense of battery maintenance, and reducing disposable battery e-waste that also keeps toxins out of landfills,” said Charles Greene, PhD, COO and CTO of Powercast.

Additional savings come from the wirelessly-powered sensors themselves. Companies don’t have to plan for building wiring or pay electrical labor to run wires. Without wires or battery maintenance, users can install more sensors to increase data for optimizing energy savings and comfort.

“We estimate our wirelessly-powered sensor system can save users 40%-50% over the installed cost of wired sensor and controller building automation systems, while also making a positive impact on the environment,” continued Greene. “The system is simple, intuitive and effective.”

“It is my pleasure to recognize the 25-Year Maintenance-Free Building Automation Sensor and Controller Technology for HVAC and Lighting Systems, an innovative solution that earned Powercast an IoT Evolution Smart Buildings Innovation Award,” said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC (co-publishers of IoT Evolution).

Powercast developed these systems both independently and in collaboration with partners, and they are covered by over 50 patents.  The Powercast Lifetime Power technology is available through partnership to develop similar or new innovative products that create smart wireless solutions for sustainable applications.

Powercast Named a 2024 Best Place to Work

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Powercast was chosen based on employee questionnaires that recognized the company’s intertwining environment, culture, and support of its employees in everything they do, from how they interact with clients, to the sustainable wireless power solutions that they work to provide the world.

Powercast has been named a 2024 Best Place to Work by Business Intelligence Group. This prestigious award highlights the company’s unwavering commitment to cultivating a workplace culture that prioritizes employee well-being, growth, and satisfaction.

Powercast was chosen based on employee questionnaires that recognized the company’s intertwining environment, culture, and support of its employees in everything they do, from how they interact with clients, to the sustainable wireless power solutions that they work to provide the world.

“We are honored to receive the Best Place to Work award,” said Charles Greene, Chief Operating & Technical Officer. “At Powercast, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset, and this recognition is a reflection of their hard work, dedication, and commitment to Powercast’s shared values. We strive to create a positive workplace culture and believe it is the foundation for success, and we are proud to provide our employees an environment where they are encouraged to grow, innovate, and thrive.”

Greene continued, “One of the most important values at Powercast is the ability to offer our employees work-life balance and flexibility. We recognize the importance of supporting employees in both their professional and personal lives, and prioritize employee satisfaction and well-being. As Powercast celebrates this achievement, we remain committed to upholding our core values and providing a culture that recognizes and rewards outstanding contributions while we continue to build a team with an outstanding track record of success.”

 

Powercast Demonstrates Broad Applications of Wireless Power at CES 2024, Powering Environmentally-Friendly Products Short to Long Range & Microwatts to Kilowatts

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Industry leader in far-field, over-the-air RF charging can now power products over entire spectrum of wireless power after expanding portfolio with near-field, contact-based inductive charging via partnership with Powermat.

 Powercast, the industry’s complete solution for wireless power, providing short to long range and microwatts to kilowatts, will demonstrate at CES 2024, booth #51516, the breadth of solutions it can provide via its expanded portfolio. Powercast expanded its portfolio via a partnership with Powermat in 2023 to add Powermat’s short-range, high-power SmartInductiveTM hybrid inductive/resonance technology, best known for the smartphone charging surfaces deployed worldwide in cars and coffee shops, to its own award-winning long-distance, low-power radio-frequency (RF) technology.

Google Home

These two pioneers of wireless power partnered to create one team that can implement sustainable, environmentally-friendly products across the entire spectrum of wireless power that can save manufacturers time and money, and cut wires and batteries to eliminate clutter and curtail e-waste, saving hundreds of millions of batteries from landfills.

“We’ve had a record year and with the addition of Powermat’s SmartInductive technology, we’re prepared to meet growing demand for both the near and far-field segments of the wireless power market, which Research and Markets expects to reach $45.3 billion by 2030,” said Charles Greene, PhD, COO and CTO of Powercast. “The partnership has created a cohesive entity that saves customers from having to research power solutions, because no matter the application, our team can apply the best solution. Our expert engineering team can also support customers from concept to prototyping to production as needed. We are truly a wireless power one-stop-shop, which is a first-of-its kind convenience for customers.”

Wireless charger demos will include those featuring RF, SmartInductive and the technologies combined:

Through the Table SmartInductive Charger

  • Ubiquity RF chargers, designed to be the industry’s most economical RF chargers.
  • SmartInductive “through-the-table” chargers that line up above/below and charge through a table up to 1.5 inches thick – no cutting or wires required.
  • A dual-technology RF/SmartInductive charger jointly developed by Powercast and Powermat designed to charge phones placed directly on it, and RF-enabled devices placed near it. The range for over-the-air RF charging is about one to 15 feet, but ultra-low-power devices like sensors can charge up to 120 feet away.
  • A retrofitted Google Home Nest that now also transmits RF power, demonstrating Powercast’s drop-in Ubiquity module that lets manufacturers easily embed RF charging into their own devices for only a $5 bill-of-materials (BOM) cost.

Wireless products that these transmitters can charge will also be demonstrated:

  • A retrofitted DeWalt power drill that recharges on a SmartInductive charging surface.
  • The Dolphin Liberty cordless pool cleaning robot featuring SmartInductive, a technology that’s capable of underwater charging.

    Drill

  • A retrofitted Arlo security camera installed outside a home that recharges through the wall from an RF transmitter inside the home – eliminating the need to hire technicians and drill holes/run wires outside.
  • A demo combining two small-form-factor technologies – Nichicon’s rechargeable batteries and Powercast’s PCC110 RF Powerharvester® chip – to create rechargeable, space-constrained devices such as styluses, medical devices and IoT sensors.

    Arlo Camera

  • And many other products including a keyboard and mouse, TV remote, charging grip for the Nintendo Joy-Cons, home security and IoT sensors, door lock, digital luggage tag, smart product packaging, and even Smartballs with sensors to deliver analytics for sports like cricket or football.

Optimized for different applications, Powercast’s and Powermat’s technologies differ in strength and transfer distance, and together cover the entire spectrum of wireless power:

  • Powercast’s RF transmitters/receivers can transfer power up to 120 feet, but deliver lower levels: 100s of milliwatts to single-digit microwatts. This technology is suited for one-to-many charging of low-power devices, like IoT security and home automation sensors in remote locations where wiring/battery replacement is inconvenient or prohibitive, and other consumer devices like game controllers, wearables, headphones and other hearables, keyboards and mice, TV remotes and more.

    TV Remote Control

  • Powermat’s SmartInductive transmitting/receiving coils charge one product at a time and must closely align – within 8 inches – but can transfer more power: 5 watts for consumer-grade applications to 600 watts for industrial-grade ones like telecom, robotics, micro-mobility, medical and underwater charging.

Greene explained, “Our vision is a world where power is ubiquitous, sustainable, wire-free, and seamlessly accessible. Our ultimate goal is true wireless freedom through an ecosystem of connected transmitters and receivers, both in the public and private domains, which provide people, products and machines the ability to move around freely with seamless access to power.”

Nichicon Stylus

Discover a ground-breaking wireless technology interview with Charlie Greene in Easy Engineering Magazine

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Powercast’s Charlie Greene is pleased to be featured in Easy Engineering Magazine, discussing our wireless power products, new technology, market trends, and more! Check out the article here: https://easyengineering.eu/powercast-wireless-power-for…/