Thanks, Mr. Tesla

We're finally getting around to it. :thumbsup:

http://tech.msn.com/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=17337626&gt1=40000

Interesting, first time I've seen someone trying to commercialise it. I'll be watching this pretty carefully.

Wonder how much crap they're going to (or had to) go through to get it through FCC.

Page one: I just finished it and find nothing so far but hype. It even looks like it's building up to Faraday's discoveries rather than Tesla's.

Page two and three: I lost interest since the whole story is hype and a pretentious claim of expanding on Tesla's efforts. Actually, it's a rejection of Tesla's efforts. The use of magnetic induction isn't a Tesla discovery; it's just the same principle Tesla tried to improperly apply.

The article appears to be a marketing attempt to create a "mystical" Tesla aura by redefining the existing induction pad product as a new device that is finally giving a nod to Tesla's failed coil experiments.

Magnetic induction has been around for some time, with transformers and even the wireless induction charging method used with cordless toothbrushes. Credit generally is given to William Stanley for the practical applications.

The induction pad has in the past been suggested as the base of a special line of chargeable personal products designed to make use of the coils of the pad creating a magnetic resonance in the appliances' special made charging system when the small appliance is placed on the pad. It works in the same manner as the charging station for your electric toothbrush.

It has nothing to do with Tesla, but does reinforce Faraday's work.

Tesla used to do the same thing by holding a bulb. He would tune in a coil to a frequency that resonated with him. He was the induction pad of sorts.
Credit to them both I say just as long as I can rid myself of this rat's nest worth of wires.

Here's a cool documentary on him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1LqxG49DLk

An hour or so long, make popcorn.

The way I understand it (and I've read about wireless electricity elsewhere), the new concept is not induction in general, but rather the use of near-field effects and a resonant frequency to transmit power a significant distance from the transmitter.

The issue as I see it could be, Who can garantee that random objects won't become charged with a 120volt or 240volt potential between 2 ends. Heck if it reacts like a transformer you could wind up with thousands of volts which could be lethal if they stored up like a capacitor.

65535 said:

The issue as I see it could be, Who can garantee that random objects won't become charged with a 120volt or 240volt potential between 2 ends. Heck if it reacts like a transformer you could wind up with thousands of volts which could be lethal if they stored up like a capacitor.

Click to expand...

There was a related article to other companies developing similar technology. Not sure of the science but they were explaining about how electricity wouldn't even be wasted as it would just be reabsorbed if it wasn't being used since that was a question that was often coming up with everyone wanting to be more energy efficient and thinking something like this would be wasteful.
I'll post if I run across it again.

The third page of the article makes this statement: "the enormous consumer demand for wireless electricity is begetting intense competition."

Is there any demand for this sort of thing? I can sort of see where it would be handy to have a pad that you could drop your cell phone or blackberry onto and get it charged, but is there any other reason to not plug a device into a wall socket to get power?

Of course, if it could replace batteries in these portable devices, that would be useful. Less trouble with toxic or expensive materials, etc. But it seems that the devices wouldn't work once you got out of a building.

It'll be interesting to see if anything comes of this concept. For now, it seems to be more suited for exciting press releases than a real application.

Steve K.

The real technology has been around since 2001, patented by Cambridge, England based Splashpower Limited. Their assets were acquired last year by Amway's Fulton Innovation. You can find plenty of information regarding it, and how it works.

The difference, since being acquired by Fulton Innovation, is that apparently Fulton Innovation is supporting the voodoo tales and hype by throwing in stories of Tesla connections and such. The seven years of previous announcements and documentation dealt with a more accurate portrayal of the technology.

The technology, even for the higher power demonstrations, is still the simple close proximity magnetic coupling between coils of a pad and a supporting coil addition to the higher power device like the television. The article praising Tesla is telling us the one throwing the switch is five foot away from the television, but you can bet he is only throwing a switch to a coupling pad under the TV. Of course, disclosing that would have spoiled the story.

The technology has been around for years. It just has a new owner. Amway will market it in Amway's own way.

Empath said:

The article praising Tesla is telling us the one throwing the switch is five foot away from the television, but you can bet he is only throwing a switch to a coupling pad under the TV. Of course, disclosing that would have spoiled the story.

The technology has been around for years. It just has a new owner. Amway will market it in amway's own way.

Click to expand...

If someone is using TV's as a target application, that would be truly amusing! Get rid of the power wires, but still have that cable thing to bring a signal into the TV. Now if they could only invent some system for bringing in the signals over the air instead of over wire.....

Steve K.
(one step forward, two steps back)