The U .S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA, has succeeded in transmitting electricity wirelessly through a laser energy beam, setting a distance record. This breakthrough is part of the Power Beaming Experimental Program(PBEP), which seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of sending power over miles of distance.
Long distance wireless power with a laser
The technology could improve the way power is delivered to remote areas and devices without a fixed power source. The ability to transmit electricity through the air could have applications in the defense, industrial or even civilian sectors by eliminating reliance on a wired infrastructure.
The principle of this innovation is based on a high-power beam of light transmitter to a photovoltaic receiver, which, similar to solar panels, converts the laser’s light energy into electricity. This receiver, similar to solar panels, converts the light energy from the laser into electricity. The main challenge has been to maximize transmission and conversion efficiency over long distances, an area where DARPA’s advances have been considerable.
The agency has also tested the system with positive results. The achievement of this distance record in wireless laser power transmission establishes a concept that has been the subject of research for decades.
The energy transmitted by a beam could power unmanned vehicles, sensor systems in remote locations and even provide charging to mobile devices wirelessly from a central source. It is a demonstration of how innovation can solve complex challenges in power distribution.
Source and photo: DARPA
