Imagine being able to charge your devices free of cables, plugs and cables. Xiaomi last week unveiled its new “Mi Air Charge Technology,” a huge wireless charging system that according to the company is able to charge devices “within a radius of several meters.” The biggest downside is that it only emits 5W of power which is comparable to the first iPhone launched in 2007 and on the bright-side it can charge multiple devices and physical obstacles apparently don’t reduce charging efficiency.
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Xiaomi says the technology will also work with smartwatches and fitness bracelets. Another goal is to make “living rooms truly wireless,” with speakers, lamps, and smart home devices all being powered by the same remote system. But how does this wireless charging technology work? According to Xiaomi;
The core technology of Xiaomi’s remote charging lies in space positioning and energy transmission. Xiaomi’s self-developed isolated charging pile has five phase interference antennas built in, which can accurately detect the location of the smartphone. A phase control array composed of 144 antennas transmits millimeter-wide waves directly to the phone through beamforming.
On the smartphone side, Xiaomi has also developed a miniaturized antenna array with built-in “beacon antenna” and “receiving antenna array”. Beacon antenna broadcasts position information with low power consumption. The receiving antenna array composed of 14 antennas converts the millimeter wave signal emitted by the charging pile into electric energy through the rectifier circuit, to turn the sci-fi charging experience into reality.
There could be potential issues with this wireless charging technology ranging from efficiency of the charging and danger of emitting radiation. Either way, you should be skeptical about the prospects of this technology making it to market until evidence suggests otherwise.
