The technology at the core of WiTricity’s approach is called magnetic coupled resonance, which can provoke an energetic response at a distance between two coils, one powered, the other not. If the two coils are correctly tuned to one another, energy flows from the connected one (installed, say, on the ceiling of a room) into the other (inside, say, your laptop). Giler presented a demo of it at TEDGlobal  2009.

Common electronic equipments are supported through 8 “tips” currently provided. Tips support common charging options such as Mini USB, Micro USB, DS Lite, Apple tip etc. You can purchase additional tips to hook up more devices. Company does not make it clear if all kinds of devices are supported, although most commonly used devices such as iPod, iPhone and mobile phones are supported.

The Powermat wireless charger costs about 100 dollars. You also need to buy charging cases for each your gadget so the power Mat can transmit electricity to your devices. Cases for phones, MP3 players typically cost 30 to 40 dollars each.

Power Mat is now sold at Amazon

How does it work? A transmitter, such as a tray or pedestal, is plugged into a wall outlet. A receiver (charging case) attaches to the back of your gadget, such as a silicone case for your iPod. When the transmitter and receiver are near each other, a small magnetic field is created, which the receiver turns into power to charge a battery.

It works through the technique of magnetic induction. Each device requires a separate charging case receiver that is connected to the device and rested on the mat. The magnetic induction process takes care of all the charging while the receiver regulates the process. Currently, it looks as though the wireless receivers–which double as protective cases or backing–are limited to a few select devices such as iPhones, Blackberries and Nintendo DS units. Other devices can be connected with the included Universal Powercube, which includes 8 separate tips.

Power mat charging tips

Following tips are currently supported

Mini USB (default receiver tip)

• BlackBerry (all models that use Mini USB)
• Many Motorola® phones
• Many HTC® phones
• Many Bluetooth® headsets
• Many GPS devices

Micro USB Tip

• Many Motorola® phones
• Many LG® phones
• Many Palm® phones
• Many Bluetooth® headsets

Apple Tip

• iPod® (all generations)
• iPhone™ (all generations)

DS Lite Tip

• Nintendo DS® Lite

DSi Tip

• Nintendo DSi™

LG 1 Tip

• Many LG® phones

Samsung 2 Tip

• Many Samsung™ phones

Sony PSP Tip

• Playstation Portable®
• Some Kodak® cameras

The Wireless electricity technology is new and there are relatively fewer companies in the market. As the competition heats up to sell wireless power cords, consumers can expect more choices with lower prices.

Sony has developed a prototype power system that can send enough electricity to power a television set wirelessly over a short distance, it said Friday. In tests the company succeeded in sending a conventional 100 volt electricity supply over a distance of 50 centimeters to power a 22-inch LCD television.

Sony makes the point with data transfer rapidly becoming a wireless endeavour; demand for wireless power is also growing. Dell showed off its wireless charging dock last week, but the power has a very short distance to travel. What Sony is trying to do is another thing entirely.

There were no indications given about when this technology might make an appearance in the wild, but Sony attempted to whet appetites with this image of a claimed prototype. Sony hasn’t set a release date for gadgets containing the new technology, but it it expected to be released to the market in the next 6 months.

The system achieves this feat through magnetic resonance. A power supply feeds electricity into a square coil of wires 40 cm across, called the primary coil, to produce a magnetic field. When a secondary coil is brought within the magnetic field this causes a current to be induced and so the electricity transfer is completed

BBC News reports that -

“For a few years now the idea of wireless power has been a shining light in the lives of gadgeteers, whose homes resemble cable repositories. At the TED Global 2009 conference this week, it got one step closer. Eric Giler, chief executive of Witricity unveiled the concept which is based on an idea by MIT’s Marin Soljacic and exploits the resonance of low frequency electromagnetic waves.

The system uses two coils, one at the mains and one on the gadget, both of which have been engineered with the same resonant frequency. When connected up to an electricity supply, the mains coil produces a magnetic field that resonates with the second coil, allowing voltage to build up to power the gadget. The technology could even be used for electric cars, which could be charged up from a mat placed beneath its wheels in the garage.

Giler showed off a TV and two phones — a Google G1 and an iPhone — which had been adapted to use the technology. He did, however, admit that the Cupertino product had been a harder nut to crack. “They don’t make it easy at Apple to get inside their phones so we put a little sleeve on the back,” he said. There had even, he added, been a proposal for an electrically-heated dog bowl. “You go from the sublime to the ridiculous.”

The complete report which has video demo and detailed analysis about wireless electricity can be accessed from here

UPDATE: Powermats are now available in US. Please check our Powermat review page for product features

Wireless Power Mats Providers
Powermat USA