South African startup Wireless Power is in the process of developing a wireless charger for drones which will harvest power directly from electromagnetic fields. This will allow drones the ability to fly continuously without needing to land for charging.
The platform was launched back in February of this year. The platform itself was launched after the team that established it was awarded with an Innovation Hub GAP ICT prize last year. The team of Wireless Power has a combined experience in power utility and technology spaces of over 50 years.
This new solution to charging drones will allow drones to be “truly autonomous,” as stated by Jaco du Preez, co-founder and chief executive officer of Wireless Power.
To understand the importance of this new solution, you should first understand the capabilities of our current drone technology. Drones can only fly for about 10 to 30 minutes before needing to their batteries need to be changed and recharged.
This problem leads to the drones only being able to sustain short flights. You’ll be sitting around and waiting for a couple of hours for the batteries to charge back up again as well. This solution that Wireless Power provides eliminates both of those problems, allowing continuous flight and never having to wait around for a battery to finish charging.
The company is currently working to improve the design and performance of the battery charger and their next step is to prepare their charger manufacturer and producer ready to get their product out there.
The self-funded Wireless Power is also developing wireless chargers for other fields such as business hubs, airports, restaurants, coffee shops, and more!
Despite business confidence levels in the continent of Africa are at its lowest record, the startup continues to press on towards success with their incredibly innovative wireless technology.