matt weighs in

I watched this video last week, after coming across the link through Digg_2000 on Twitter. Full length is 10 minutes, and stick with it if you can. The guys at MIT are working on some good stuff to make our world greener and less dependent on individual batteries and cords. WiTricity. Coming soon to your home, we hope.

The first question most people will ask is, “How much will it cost?” I think we should be asking how much more money for r & d will it take to get it ready for the market. Costs always come down, as we’ve seen with any new technology. My only hope is that people can take the long view with their wallet. We’ll save money, hopefully, on battery and electricity costs, while keeping hazardous stuff out of our landfills.

I’m sure we’re at least a decade or more until WiTricity is widely used, but wouldn’t it be nice if you could put one of the battery chargers in your basement or garage, set it to reach as far as the edges of your property, and all compatible devices charge when they are in range? Or what if cities could buy huge wireless charger grids to put in strategic locations and people paid to use them (or received a tax credit for going green?)

If you are more familiar with this technology, besides cost, what are other obstacles to cable-free electric power becoming a reality? How hard will it be to get television, cell phone, car, and other manufacturers on board to put the battery pack on their products? These, too, could go wireless, along with those mentioned in the last sentence: hair appliances, coffee maker, and home entertainment equipment.

And, since this is a family site, an added benefit is that if the charger could be placed under the carpet or inside a wall, we wouldn’t have to worry as much about kids sticking their fingers in the sockets. Saving lives and the earth. How can it fail?

…

Video note: I originally watched it on the TED blog
More on witricity: here and here