Demo at D9: UBeam
Anyone who relies on a laptop computer knows the sinking feeling that comes from leaving a charger at home.
UBeam, a company co-founded by recent University of Pennsylvania graduates Meredith Perry and Nora Dweck, thinks it may have a solution: Wireless charging stations.
Perry and Dweck will demo the uBeam charge system, which consists of a charge station and a battery adapter. The plug-in charge station is designed to transmit ultrasound waves, which are converted to electricity by the adapter.
It isn’t cutting the cord, but it might give us a little room to breathe.
10:46 am: Perry and Dweck take the stage–Walt explains that this will be more of a proof-of-concept demo.
10:47 am: Perry and Dweck won an inventing competition at UPenn–graduated from undergrad less than a month ago.
10:47 am: Perry explains that the charge station, which plugs into any outlet, emits ultrasound.
10:48 am: The second component of the product, the battery adapter, will be about the size of a flash drive. It is customizable and compatible with different types of cords.
10:49 am: Perry: “It will charge your device just as quicky as your wire would.”
10:49 am: The demo is set up with the charge station and battery adapter two feet apart.
10:51 am: Perry says that the best place for the uBeam charge station would be on the ceiling.
10:51 am: UBeam has a multimeter set up to gauge the power being emitted by the charge station. After flipping on the transmitter, the dial goes up.
10:52 am: Perry explains that the frequency of ultrasound emitted from uBeam, just above what a human can hear, is perfectly safe.
10:53 am: Walt and Kara wonder if uBeam could take care of pesky household rodents. Unfortunately, it does not.
10:53 am: Kara: Why did you focus on power? Every other college student is developing a game.
10:54 am: Perry explains that the concept for uBeam originated from a time when she forgot her laptop charger at home.
10:54 am: Dweck: There are two models of uBeam–industrial and personal.
10:54 am: Dweck explains that the industrial version would ideally be used in a place like a coffee shop.
10:55 am: While pricing is still undetermined, uBeam anticipates that the personal model will run $100-150, and the industrial $300-500.
Perry and Dweck conclude the session by telling the audience: “We need money!”