Lord Paul Drayson, former science Minister of the UK, currently CEO of Drayson Technologies, presented at the Royal institution in London a device that is able to take energy from the air and charge it with the help of electronic devices. The technology is called Freevolt.
The device consists of a set of antennas operating in several frequencies, and an electric current rectifier, which converts AC power to DC power. The device picks up radio waves that are produced by many modern devices and wireless networks – from smart phones to TVs – and obtains from them sufficient energy to power small appliances. During the presentation, Drayson demonstrated their device by enabling it through your microphone.
Freevolt can be used to charge devices that do not require large amounts of energy, such as transducers, sensors or beacons that transmit a signal to the “Internet of things”. According to the creators of the technology, in the future it will become small enough Freevolt discreetly placed on the clothing, or in a small wearable device and using radio waves to fuel the fitness trackers or other wearable monitors the health of the person.
Experts point to two problems that must face the charging technology on the airwaves, if it will be used. The first is that the amount of available energy will then increase, then decrease, the second is that owners of wireless networks will be against the “theft” of “excess” energy.
To use radio waves that fill the space around us to convert their “free” energy into useful energy, is not a new idea. Technologies for this already exist. Earlier this year Nicola startup Labs has introduced a case for iPhone which can extend the operation of the device without recharging (the project is still under development). In Seattle conducted an experiment in which the energy collectors had small devices, using waves from Wi-Fi routers. However, Drayson claims that his company is the first who brought the technology to the market, making it compact, efficient and commercially viable at the same time.
September 30, the entrepreneur presented a complete device that is powered by radio waves – a small sensor for monitoring air pollution CleanSpace. A portable sensor that monitors the environment around the user and transmits information to a smartphone that completely feeds on the free radio waves.
