Wi-Charge Brings Infrared to Wireless Charging, Noting FDA Classification vs. FCC
Wi-Charge is pushing infrared for wireless charging and hopes to see products from third-party companies in the market next year, Chief Marketing Officer Yuval Boger told us in New York Thursday. Apple’s inclusion of Qi in the Apple 8 and…
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X smartphones was seen as a tipping point for wireless charging (see 1804090021). Boger called Qi an “interim solution” because of placement limitations and AC-charging requirements. Wi-Charge can charge up to 15 feet, with no AC power required in receivers, Boger said. Initially, Wi-Charge is targeting smart home applications and tablets used in airport restaurants and other public spaces, Boger said, but smartphones are the “holy grail” for wireless charging at a distance. The FCC imposes safety limits on how much RF or ultrasound energy is allowed, but infrared, because it’s light-based, is classified as a Class 1 laser product under Food and Drug Administration regulations. The FDA has categorized Class 1 devices as safe under all conditions of normal use, the executive said, comparing a Wi-Charge transmitter to a laser mouse.