The science
Obviously safety and cost effectiveness are paramount and WREL aspires to be both of these. The science is based around the concept of coupled resonators, the most tangible illustration of which is the ability of opera singers to shatter glasses with their voice.
This relies on the note they sing corresponding strongly with the resonant frequency of the glass. When this happens there is the transfer of sufficient energy from the singer to the glass to shatter it. It seems that energy can also be transmitted in a more benign way if done properly.
The practical application seems to be similar to Wi-Fi hotspots, in so much as when your device comes within range of a transmitter it will receive the commodity offered by the hotspot - in this case energy rather than connectivity.
With so much emphasis on mobile devices from Intel these days, it's clear why this would be a particularly attractive innovation for the chip giant, but the company stresses that many engineering challenges remain.
Press release: Intel CTO Says Gap between Humans, Machines will Close by 2050
