The idea of wireless electricity has been around since the early days of the Tesla coil. But thanks to a group of MIT scientists, "WiTricity" (as these scientists call it) is now one step closer to practical reality.

Demonstrating the ability to power a 60-watt light bulb from a power source seven feet away without wires might not seem like the most impressive of feats, but the technology behind it has massive implications for how we live our tech-filled, power-hungry lives. Imagine a day when your laptop, MP3 player, or Roomba are constantly charged by power sent through the air via an electromagnetic field.

The idea has been around for over a hundred years; Nicola Tesla himself demonstrated its potential in Colorado Springs in 1899 by lighting up 200 light bulbs from 26 miles away. The problem: It took 100 million volts to do so, which isn't exactly efficient. The solution, according to the MIT team, is to fill a space with a magnetic field, rather than just sending out waves in all directions.

The scientists used magnetically coupled resonators, essentially electromagnetic coils, for their demonstration with the light bulb. Future devices receiving power through this method would need to be fixed with an antenna that "couples" with the power source transmitter by resonating at the same frequency Because most common materials and biological organisms don't react strongly to magnetic fields, magnetic coupling is considered safe for everyday applications.

Of course, anytime a technology broadcasts an invisible wave or field, people start worrying about things like cancer. But Professor Marin Soljačić, who led the research, believes the technology can be developed without posing any serious health risks. Clearly, more research needs to be done regarding health issues, and the technology has a long way to go before it will find its way into our lives anyway.

But even if studies show no clear evidence of health risks, expect to hear speculation about it for years. WiFi and cell phones have been ubiquitous for quite a while now, but despite the fact that masses of people aren't dropping dead in their homes and offices, fears about wireless technology are still common.

[image via Telegraph newspaper]

Post by Matt Safford