Next Big Thing: harvesting free electricity from the air

Didn’t Tesla already try this (and fail)?

Tesla’s dreams of wireless electricty were smashed when the electric companies pretty much shut the project down </endpropoganda>. Anyway, this is slightly different. While Tesla’s giant tower was going to send out wireless electricity, Drayson’s new Freevolt tech makes use of the untapped potential already beaming around us.

Already around us?

Yep. The air we walk through is awash with untapped power. Freevolt harvesters (which consist of an antenna, rectifer and power module) can harvest ambient RF energy from DTV broadcasts, Wi-Fi and mobile signals.

The collected power can then be used to perpetually power devices without ever having to charge them or faff around with batteries again. Clever eh?

So my next smartphone will live forever? Awesome.

Not quite. The power generated by the Freevolt system is miniscule, and definitely won’t be enough to power an energy-sucking smartphone.

The first device to use the tech – the CleanSpace Tag is far simpler. It’s a mini sensor which measures and maps the air quality around you, and it’s powered completely by surrounding RF waves.

This could be the the first step towards potentially larger devices like watches, which can top themselves up over time. Fast forward a bit to perpetually-powered wearables, and we’ve got ourselves a tech game-changer. Praise science.

Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.