With the spread of smart products, the Internet of Things (IoT), and wearable gadgets of all shapes and sizes more and more, the need to change and charge batteries will only become more and more important.

Many people are looking for battery-less solutions, where energy is recovered from the surrounding environment by light, motion, temperature gradients, or radio frequencies.

6G Communications promises to make users’ devices work without power.

It may take a little while to hit the market, as all new technology does, but years of suffering from constantly having to recharge batteries or running out of juice when you need your electronics most, including cell phones are coming to an end. .

Say hello to BFree.

Battery-less systems (BFree)

Computer engineers at Northwestern University and Delft University of Technology have developed a battery-less system that allows electronic devices to run intermittently on recovered energy, such as solar power, giving them “an infinite lifespan. », Reveals a press release.

By seamlessly interrupting calculations when power (like solar power or even pressing a button) is interrupted and resuming when power returns, the BFree system allows devices to run smoothly whenever the power is on. power is available.

BFree was designed not to solve the problem of recharging batteries but rather to help solve the problem of waste batteries, of which 53 million tonnes are produced worldwide each year.

Last year, the same team unveiled a battery-less Game Boy called “ENGAGE,” which is powered solely by the kinetic energy of button presses.

Future versions of BFree could be useful for space and especially small, fully solar powered satellites.

With the new technology, the team says even novice programmers can turn “their Do It Yourself (DIY) battery-powered motion sensor, for example, into a solar sensor with an infinite lifespan.”

The BFree system allows devices to operate continuously using intermittent energy. When the power is interrupted, the system stops the calculations. Then, when the power returns, it automatically resumes without losing memory and without having to go through a long list of operations.

The new system could be a far-reaching breakthrough in electronics, enabling a drastic reduction in e-waste from DIY electronics projects, which are gaining more and more popularity.

The question is whether or when will it hit the smartphone market? Here are some other promising battery-less and wireless hybrid solutions.

The charging room

What if your smartphone or laptop started charging as soon as you walked through the door? Researchers have developed a specially constructed room that can transmit energy to a variety of electronic devices indoors, charging phones and powering household devices without a plug or battery.

The coin is based on the same phenomenon as short-range cordless phone chargers: a metal coil, placed in a magnetic field, will produce an electric current. Existing commercial charging stations use electricity from a wall outlet to produce a magnetic field in a small area. Most recent smartphones are equipped with a metal coil, and when such a model is placed on the dock, the interaction generates enough current to power the phone’s battery. But today’s commercial products have a very limited range. If you lift a phone from the docking station or pack it in a case that is too thick, the wireless power transfer stops.

But if a magnetic field filled an entire room, any phone inside would have access to wireless power. The room could deliver 50 watts of power throughout the space, igniting any devices equipped with a receiving coil. These included a smartphone, light bulb, and fan.

Delivery efficiency ranged from a low of 37% to a high of about 90%, depending on the strength of the magnetic field at specific points in the room, as well as the orientation of the device.

The researchers also tested the safety of the room by running computer simulations, measuring what the human body would be exposed to in a digital model of the powered room. The simulation suggested that the energy absorption in the test room would remain well below acceptable limits.

Beyond phones, a dedicated wireless charging room would allow a variety of electronic devices, sensors, mobile robots, or even medical implants to run in the background, charging without a wired connection and leaving humans behind. largely ignore them.

Wireless charging is an extremely competitive concept, with several start-ups competing to transmit energy via electromagnetism, lasers or sound waves.

World’s First Hybrid Cordless Battery Charging Device

Raising over $ 160,000 from Japanese crowdfunding site “Makuake”, the world’s first cordless hybrid battery is a power bank with two charging coils built into a single block, which can automatically identify the device. placed on it and send the appropriate current.

With its built-in magnetic battery, it can attach and charge the iPhone 13 / iPhone 12. In addition, the same surface can also be used to charge the AppleWatch, which can start charging by simply placing it on top of it. the battery, just like the iPhone.

In addition, there is a built-in holder on the back of the battery, which allows you to watch videos while charging your phone or watch recipes while cooking.

Launched on September 28 this year, the USB-C port allows fast charging of the PD 20W, so you can charge your iPhone at maximum speed.

It is designed to be compact enough to fit in the iPhone 13 mini and not interfere with the camera. The battery costs $ 52.