[Interview] Toshiba Discusses Wireless Power Feeding Technologies

Feb 1, 2010 15:58 Hiroki Yomogita, Nikkei Electronics

Wireless power feeding technologies aimed at mobile devices and audio-video equipment are drawing increasing attention.

In Japan, firms such as device makers have launched the "Wireless Power Feeding SWG (Sub-working group)" for the commercialization of wireless power feeding technologies. We interviewed Hiroki Shoki, who is a senior researcher at the Corporate R&D Center of Toshiba Corp and actively involved in the SWG. (Interviewer: Hiroki Yomogida, Nikkei Electronics)

Q: What is the aim of developing wireless power feeding technologies?

Shoki: Wireless power feeding has been one of our research themes for some time. For example, cable-free notebook PCs can be realized by using wireless LAN. But they still have a power cable. We started to develop wireless power feeding technologies to eliminate it.

Stimulated by MIT's study

Then, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) announced a study on wirelessly transmitting electric power to a distance of several meters, stimulating other researchers. And it made us seriously consider wireless power feeding technologies. Also, Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) began to study on the potential of wireless power feeding.

Currently, the Broadband Wireless Forum is operated by, for example, YRP (Yokosuka Research Park). And the Wireless Power Feeding SWG started operations as one of the forum's activities. We are now working in this sub-group.

Q: What kinds of applications do you have in mind?

Shoki: We sent out a questionnaire to the member companies of the SWG to ask what kinds of applications they are considering. And the survey results showed that there are four fields of application.

First, wireless power feeding technologies with a transmission range of several millimeters to one centimeter can be applied to digital home appliances. With electromagnetic induction technologies, they can be used to wirelessly charge PCs and mobile phones.

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