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A Tablecloth to Charge Your Laptop

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the unplugged-and-loving-it dept.

moscowde writes "Research scientists at the University of Tokyo have come up with a unique sheet-like material that can transmit electrical energy over a large area to nearby devices without the need for direct contact, so it can be made into a tablecloth or wallpaper and your appliance can be anywhere on a surface to get charged. The system uses organic molecules as transistors, microelectromechanical switches, and miniature copper coils to transmit energy using electromagnetic induction."

6 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. Replace for power cables and plugs? by astonishedelf · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If this could help get rid of the mess of power plugs and cables under my desk, this would be utterly fantastic. Wonder what happens if a liquid is spilled on the surface though...

  2. Nothing by CarpetShark · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It sounds like magnetic induction -- same thing they use to charge electric toothbrushes without exposing any wiring to water and toothpaste. It should work just fine with water.

    My questions on this would be more focused on how practical it'll actually be, unless it's standardised so that different devices can charge off it, and on how wasteful it is, if it's throwing out energy even when nothing needs it.

  3. Tesla did it 100 years ago by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 2, Interesting

    One of the intriguing Nichlai (sp?) Tesla did in his lab was to place an inductive ring just below the cieling like crown molding. Then he had electric motors powered by inductive coupling. Instead of "plugging" in the device to the wall socket, all he has to do was to raise a ring the ceiling. To "unplug", lower the ring by a few inches. Will try to find some references and post it soon.

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    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Tesla did it 100 years ago by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      yup and I did it 15 years ago in college. I made a charging mat that was basically a thick tablecloth that did the EXACT SAME THING. I based my thesis and final project on Tesla's work and even gave details. One thing I did was to increase the Frequency to 400hz that allowed me to have a weaker field to transmit the same power to eliminate the magnetize everything in a 4 foot radius effect.

      It worked great and if you did your calculations right the tailored recivers for each device were incredibly easy to build and interface to the device. I modified a Motorola Brock phone to charge from a coil I placed in it's battery compartment.

      The only reason thses things do not take off is that device makers make HUGE $$$ off of "accessories" like chargers. Dell rapes you blind on their charger prices, Apple and Nokia do the same. and they all go out of their way to make sure it uses a wierd voltage and wierd connector to make sure you cant easily use something else.

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      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  4. Re:Tablecloths and wallpapers? by Goaway · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Nothing has gone wrong so far except that the psychosomatics have a new thing to complain about, so I don't see why a little more would be a problem.

  5. A Victorian Idea! by Goth+Biker+Babe · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Lord Armstrong, a Victorian inventor and armaments manufacturer had one of, if not the first, electrically lit house in the work. Cragside" was lit (initially by carbon arc lamps but then by Joseph Swan's incandescent light bulbs) powered by hydroelectric power. During the day horses pumped water to a lake up the hill side. During the night that water generated electricity.

    The table lamps replicated old oil lamps in style but had spikes which poked in to table clothes which were threaded with copper wire carrying current. This meant you could carry them around, put them down, and they would just light.