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!”

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The self-driving car is not self-aware. It’s just driving; it’s not thinking.

— Eric Schmidt at D9