Nokia Developed Wireless Power-Harvesting Phones

Al writes "An engineer from Nokia's UK research labs says that the company is developing technology that can harvest ambient electromagnetic radiation to keep a cellphone going. The researcher says that his group is working towards a prototype that could harvest up to 50 milliwatts of power — enough to slowly recharge a phone that is switched off. He says current prototypes can harvest 3 to 5 milliwatts. It will require a wideband receiver capable of capturing signals from between 500 megahertz and 10 gigahertz — a range that encompasses many different radio communication signals. Other researchers have developed devices that can harvest more modest power from select frequencies. A team from Intel previously developed a compact sensor capable of drawing 6 microwatts from a 1.0-megawatt TV antenna 4.1 kilometers away."

Comments

Re:Cellphone Range

[sexconker]

Stop using logic and reason.
This is slashdot, and somebody needs a research grant.

Re:Crystal radio

[ShieldW0lf]

Do you know how incredibly inefficient a power broadcast system would be? Do you know the rate at which said power broadcast would drop off with regards to range? Simple physics.

Do you know how incredibly inefficient an engine that operates through conflagration is? Do you know the rate at which said power broadcast would drop off relative to detonation? Simple physics. No one is ever going to use a combustion engine.