Efficient, Wireless, Non-radiative Power Transfer

Startup WiTricity is developing wireless charging solutions for automobiles, medical implants, electronic devices, and Soldier applications.
The six member ISN research team that pioneered wireless power transmission stand or sit between two large coils of copper wire. From the right coil hangs an illuminated lightbulb.

The members of the ISN wireless power transmission research team, between two transmission coils, from the right of which hangs an illuminated lightbulb (Image: Franklin Hadley)

Founded to develop S&T derived from ISN research by MIT Profs. Marin Soljačić, John Joannopoulos, and Research Scientist Dr. Aristeidis Karalis on midrange, non-radiative wireless power transmission, MIT spinout company WiTricity is a leader in wireless charging solutions.

Based on research that started at the nanoscale on the principle of strongly coupled lightwave resonances, involving nanostructured material with feature sizes much smaller than the wavelength of the resonance, and then extended to the macroscale using complex circuitry, WiTricity is focused on developing wireless charging solutions for the automobile industry.

Current implementations of the WiTricity Halo charging platform are capable of delivering 11 kilowatts at a distance of 0.5 meters with 90% efficiency, allowing vehicles to recharge at a rate of ~45 miles travel range for each hour of charging.