Xiaomi today unveiled its “Mi Air Charge Technology”, which is capable of charging wireless devices in a room with 5W of power.
Mi Air Charge technology offers a “true wireless charging” solution, without cables or brackets. Devices charge remotely with 5W of power, using advanced spatial positioning and beam-forming energy transmission.
Xiaomi has developed an isolated charging cell unit with five-phase interference antennas, which can accurately detect the location of a smartphone. A phase control matrix with 144 antennas transmits millimeter waves directly to the phone through the formation of beams.
For smartphones, Xiaomi has developed a corresponding miniaturized antenna array with a “beacon antenna” and a “receiving antenna array”. The beacon antenna transmits low power position information, while the receiver antenna array uses 14 antennas to convert the millimeter wave signal emitted by the load cell directly into electrical energy via a rectifier circuit.
Remote charging technology is capable of charging multiple devices within a radius of several meters, with each device capable of receiving 5W of power. Xiaomi also notes that the physical objects placed between the charging stack and the device do not reduce the charging efficiency.
Xiaomi says it is looking to expand the technology to smartwatches, bracelets and other wearables, as well as smart home speakers, table lamps and more in the future. It is unclear how close Xiaomi is to bringing its Mi Air Charge technology and charging battery to the consumer market, but today’s revelation may suggest that this will happen sooner or later.
The announcement indicates that progress in remote wireless charging technology in the industry is constantly evolving. Several years ago, it was rumored that Apple would be partnering with Energous to provide its own remote wireless charging solution. Apple is believed to be still researching new wireless charging technologies, and with the advent of MagSafe on iPhone 12 models, the company is clearly interested in new ways to power devices.