The first cell phone of Martin Cooper is just a memory: the smartphone of the future is battery-free and uses radio waves to power itself
While the major smartphone manufacturers are trying to increase the autonomy of the batteries, even managing to get good results, someone has gone further, developing a phone whose main feature is to be able to work without a battery.
Strange, but absolutely true. And even more absurd is the technology that the team of scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle has used to power the circuits of the incredible phone: the energy of the surrounding environment. A technique from science fiction, then. The device of the American scholars is able to make calls without having any battery. But how is this possible? The group of researchers has completely overturned the system of circuits on which a normal cell phone stands, replaced by a set of electronic elements that consume very little energy.
It uses radio waves to power itself
The phone, then, uses an analog voice transfer technique, and not digital, which allows the device to save a lot of energy. And that’s not all. As mentioned, the cell phone developed by university scientists is powered by the ability to collect the necessary charge from the environment. The device, in fact, exploits a system, already used in the past, which uses radio waves to turn on and off its circuits.
Only a prototype (for now)
Brake your enthusiasm. The device is still a prototype, and there’s still a long way to go before it’s a real cell phone (maybe a smartphone). Although, as mentioned, it works perfectly. The phone without battery at the moment, in fact, has only the keys to call and an LED light. That’s all.
From what we hear, the next edition will integrate an electronic ink display, which will also allow you to send messages. And that’s not all. Scientists also aim to improve reception. It is really the case to say, in this case, that imagination has really surpassed reality.