So last week I wrote about Zennick Waves and how they will transmit electricity around the globe without a grid, firmly moving electrical pylons to the scrap heap. But guess what, scientists seem to be on a role, because this week its, ”electricity transmitted through Wi Fi” that means using Wi Fi to charge electrical devices.

Rectenna

Researchers have achieved what to most of us would seem impossible, they have designed the world’s first fully flexible, battery free, “rectenna” which converts energy from Wi Fi signals into electricity – how cool is that!

40 microwatts of power

The antenna is connected to a semi-conductor that is just a few atoms thick, this converts the AC into DC producing enough electricity to power your mobile, or any other type of low power circuit for that matter. Experiments have produced about 40 microwatts of power and that’s enough to light up a mobile display. This technology could herald the way for wearable technology like flexible smart phones, but could also be used for implantable medical devices.

So, what Strange Magic is going to happen next week. Perhaps a device that will harvest energy from the human body to power your TV, allowing you to lose weight while watching your favourite Star Trek episode.

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