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Solar Powered Table That Wirelessly Charges Your Gadgets

Posted by samzenpus on from the power-up dept.

greenerd writes "Panasonic recently unveiled a solar table at Tokyo's Security Show that harnesses QI technology to wirelessly charge your gadgets with solar power whenever you place them on the countertop."

32 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Nice idea, but... by Errol+backfiring · · Score: 1

    If I point the solar panel towards the sun, my gizmos drop on the floor. If I don't, the sun will hardly hit it. Nice thing if you live on the equator.

    --
    Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
    1. Re:Nice idea, but... by davester666 · · Score: 1

      And you like leaving your gadgets on a table on your front yard during the middle of the day.

      And your gadgets don't come with a warning saying not to leave them in direct sunlight for long periods of time.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    2. Re:Nice idea, but... by meerling · · Score: 1

      Since I keep my tables indoors, they don't get all that much light, and that's not even counting all the stuff on the table. I'd be better off hanging a 1'sq panel outside and run a wire inside to a charge station.

  2. I guess I need to move by Tigger's+Pet · · Score: 1

    I'm not convinced that we get enough sun here in England for half the year. Given how cool and useful this technology could be, it would be nice to see this table built with a mains lead as well, so that when the sun isn't out the table would still recharge your gadgets, but would automatically use the solar power instead when it could. It would be most annoying to have this at home, stick my phone on it to charge when I get home, but then have to plug my phone back into the mains overnight if it hasn't got enough charge.

  3. Stadards, people! by Kokuyo · · Score: 2

    The idea is neat. Imagine if most surfaces where people spend some time (e.g. restaurants, cafes and so on) had these. You wouldn't need to fully charge your device in one go but you'd be continually charging them a bit.

    Now if only companies could agree on ONE standard so that IKEA could ALSO sell those tables and countertops and what-have-you and they could then charge ALL of your devices, because the tech could be built-in from the beginning by any manufacturer.

    I mean, what's the big idea? Should I buy different tables for my HTC Android, for the PSP and the iPod?

    1. Re:Stadards, people! by sakdoctor · · Score: 2

      Radioisotope thermoelectric generators are the future of phone batteries, not all that poncy recharging.

    2. Re:Stadards, people! by Nerdfest · · Score: 2

      Should I buy different tables for my HTC Android, for the PSP and the iPod?

      I can't imagine Apple or Sony using a proprietary technology or connector when a standard exists.

    3. Re:Stadards, people! by A+beautiful+mind · · Score: 1

      As an oncologist, I fully support this idea!

      I kid, I kid.

      --
      It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
      Be yourself no matter what they say
  4. Practicality by snsh · · Score: 2

    A solar-powered table makes as much sense as a solar-powered down comforter or solar-powered underwear.

    1. Re:Practicality by andrea.sartori · · Score: 1

      Solar-powered underwear would be cool. Or hot?

      --
      Mostly harmless.
    2. Re:Practicality by Neil+Boekend · · Score: 1

      If your underwear sees enough daylight to get anything charged, then something is wrong. Now sexy underwear on a beautiful girl can charge important parts of me, but the surface covered by such underwear is usually very low, so solar panels would not give much electricity.

      --
      Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
    3. Re:Practicality by Gaygirlie · · Score: 2

      If your underwear sees enough daylight to get anything charged, then something is wrong

      ....or very, very right!!

    4. Re:Practicality by Kaitnieks · · Score: 1

      "Come to my place to find out!"

  5. Nice but not too revolutionary by h00manist · · Score: 1

    Will save a bit of energy at home - and it's got a nice coolness factor. But at home we need of a lot more power than a tabletop of cells. Like covering all the walls and roof with low-cost solar cells will be of some use. What we could use *now* are jackets, hats, backpacks, cellphones and laptops with solar cells built in, to get a little more power when you're *not* near home or any power source.

    --
    Build your own energy sources from scratch. http://otherpower.com/
  6. No need for shielding by mangu · · Score: 1

    Hm, I might need to get some bigger pockets to be able to fit the 25+ mm of lead shielding needed for safe operation.

    No need for shielding. Just don't put the device in your front pant pockets if you plan to have children in the future.

    1. Re:No need for shielding by bpsbr_ernie · · Score: 2

      Could this be the solution to unwanted teen pregnancy?

  7. wireless my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    When is this 'Wireless' nonsense going away. It is not an innovation, it is a stupid solution for a non problem and any 12 year old can calculate it has NO future. Plug in the damn phnes.

  8. Obligatory. by JustAnotherIdiot · · Score: 1

    This is useless, there aren't any solar rays in my mother's basement!

    --
    What do I know, I'm just an idiot, right?
    1. Re:Obligatory. by natehoy · · Score: 1

      What do you mean? I got one of these, and then bought a 500 watt lamp that simulates sunlight. I pointed the lamp at the table. Problem solved. I get almost 10w of charging power, which is plenty to charge my phone.

      Now I just need to figure out why my electric bill went up by $60 a month. Must be that new electric toothbrush.

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
  9. People who live in glass houses by rossdee · · Score: 1

    will love this, , not so useful for the rest of us.

    Of course we could put the table outside, as long as there is no other weather (rain, snow, dogs etc.)

  10. what's wrong with plugs? by hey · · Score: 1

    Hasn't the world settled on USB plugs for charging.
    Induction is not that efficient.

    1. Re:what's wrong with plugs? by hitmark · · Score: 2

      Efficiency is of a lesser concern when the source is hanging there in the sky for hours each day.

      --
      comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
  11. Harnesses Qi? by McGregorMortis · · Score: 1

    So, I can recharge my phone by doing yoga?

  12. Is QI worthwhile? by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 1

    I'm not sold on this wireless charging technology. It doesn't seem to add any simplicity, other than just not having to plug in a cord. Other corded charging stations seem to work as well, if you don't mind the extra 0.001 kilocalorie of effort to plug your device in.

    It's also relatively inefficient. It has to be to work that way.

    1. Re:Is QI worthwhile? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I think this comment hit the nail right on the head. Efficiencies of inductive charging solutions are about 50% of that compared to 2 wires (i.e. a plug). There are those that are touting 70%; however, noone seems to be able to product data to that effect.

      What nobody has touched on was effective charging distance. After about 3-4mm of distance between the two devices (i.e. table and phone), you yield zero power delivered to the device. This effectively nullifies the retrofit market. You can no longer build a box that bolts onto the bottom of a table and have it work.

      More-so, furniture manufacturers aren't going to incorporate this technology in a wide-spread fashion because there isn't a single unifying standard. The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) is trying to do this; however, I haven't seen any WPC products on the market yet. Powermat appears to be the market leader in this area; however, their power transmission technique is proprietary, though is does rely on the inductive method (i.e. 4mm distance limitation between coils).

      When you start seeing products come out using magnetic resonance charging (10-15cm distance between coils), I would get excited. Until then, wireless charging of devices is a pipe-dream as far as the mass-market is concerned.

    2. Re:Is QI worthwhile? by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 1

      Why the heck did somebody mark this comment down?

      Dude, you were the victim of a drive-by modding.

    3. Re:Is QI worthwhile? by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 1

      It does happen sometimes. I won't deny it. Modders are anonymous and that gives some of them the idea that they can willy-nilly mod down anything they disagree with or don't understand.

      However, there are a lot of more responsible people too. One of the things this website is good for is learning how to tolerate the asshats that sometimes congregate here. And there is a lot of good stuff here.

      BTW, comments don't get deleted, but they can be modded down below our viewing threshold. You need to go to the top of the page and lower your viewing threshold to see those comments.

  13. Umm... Windows? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Seriously people - don't you have windows in your homes? Put the table by a window. You know, those glass rectangles that are in the walls that allow you to see outside... Never mind, I forgot who was reading this stuff. Even my windows have shades or curtains over them and if I move them out of the way, people will be able to see me...

    1. Re:Umm... Windows? by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 1

      Seriously people - don't you have windows in your homes?

      As a matter of fact... no, I don't. Too much security hassle, and too expensive too!

    2. Re:Umm... Windows? by DocSavage64109 · · Score: 1

      Maybe that would work if you have huge wall sized tables, and nothing blocking the sun like trees, other buildings, or your own roof. For most people it wouldn't work so well, and the cost effectiveness break-even point is sure to be laughable.

  14. Apple's devices by nowen2dot · · Score: 1

    Should I buy different tables for my HTC Android, for the PSP and the iPod?

    I can't imagine Apple or Sony using a proprietary technology or connector when a standard exists.

    Apple's devices only charge on the iTablette.

    --
    I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it. -- Groucho Marx
  15. Lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Requires the energy of a lightbulb to charge your devices. Epic fail in engineering to build a table for indoors that has a solar panel in it. Of course all the Green Nuts cannot see the flaw in this design, but they are too busy stockpiling hemp to understand why it won't work.