Wireless rechargers would make powering up simpler for soldiers
- By Defense Systems Staff
- Jun 13, 2012
Army researchers are working diligently to develop a way for troops to wirelessly recharge all of the location and communications gear they wear into battle by outfitting them with wireless chargers that work at distances of 50 feet, reports Robert Beckhusen at Wired's Danger Room.
The military services is investing $5 to $6 million in an effort to boost the efficiency of power transfer over long distances so that soldiers don't have to return to base or their vehicles to recharge critical gear, according to an Army news release.
The goal is to find a way for soldiers to recharge by a wireless battery attached to their body during operations and for soldiers on base to be able to recharge passively through wireless transmitters installed throughout the installation, the story said.
The challenge is to field wireless rechargers that are small enough to be practical for a soldier to carry. One way to avoid using large power coils for wireless recharging is to use "repeaters" that allow energy to hop from one repeater to another, the story said.