One morning last month, I walked into my kitchen to get a glass of water, but my smart faucet was out of battery. I went to sit down in my front room, and the shade was still shut — it was out of battery. I walked down the hall and found a beached robot vacuum — out of battery. I headed outside to feed the chickens, unlocking the back door on the way out. The battery-powered smart lock had done what it was supposed to and automatically locked at 8PM. At least something was working.The game changer here is wireless charging. Not wireless like putting your phone on a charging pad, wireless like across the room. For the past year, a Wi-Charge transmitter in my ceiling has been shooting infrared lasers at a photovoltaic panel on the specially modified Alfred DB2S smart lock on my back door, keeping its battery hovering at 100 percent. So I never have to deal with a dead lock when going to feed my chickens.I want this for everything in my smart home.To get this souped-up setup cost around $1,250, required cutting a hole in my ceiling, and is only available through an early access program (the Wi-Charge-compatible Alfred lock can’t be purchased off the shelf). However, despite this extra effort, after a year of living with a wirelessly-powered smart lock, whose battery I never have to mess with, I want this for everything in my smart home. I want the convenience of battery-powered gadgets: no cords cluttering up my house, no pricey electrician bills, the freedom to put things where I want, unrestricted by power outlets. I want the benefits that come with battery-powered connected gadgets like smart faucets and shades: voice control, schedules, hands-free operation — without having to spend a day every month recharging or replacing batteries. In short, I want wireless power everywhere.I installed the Wi-Charge transmitter in my ceiling, a few feet from the Alfred lock on my back door.Long-range wireless power has been a dream for over a century. Wi-Charge (pronounced WHY l...
First seen: 2025-05-20 02:57
Last seen: 2025-05-20 02:57