The FCC has approved a wireless charging device that can recharge electronic devices through radio frequencies from a distance of three feet.
The Federal Communications Commission gave a thumbs up to the Watt Up device from the Energous Corp., The Hill reported.
The moved marked the first time the FCC has approved such a device.
"The FCC certification of Energous' power-at-a-distance wireless charging transmitter is a major market milestone," said Stephen R. Rizzone, president and chief executive of Energous. "It opens up options, outside of just contact-based charging, to Wireless Charging 2.0: an ecosystem where devices can be charged both, via pad and at a distance.”
"Untethered, wire-free charging – such as charging a fitness band even while wearing it – is exactly what consumers have been waiting for. We are now in a position to move our consumer electronics, IoT (Internet of Things), and smart home customers forward at an accelerated pace."
Tech website Engadget reported the wireless charger can power up multiple devices at the same time and should work on anything from phones and tablets to keyboards and earbuds. The website said that, like Wi-Fi, it should work regardless of the device's manufacturer.
Energous said it will unveil the latest in the radio transmitted charging at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Jan. 9-12.
"This ground-breaking technology allows users to automatically charge their WattUp-enabled devices without having to remove them from their wrist or pocket, plug them in or place them on a mat to charge, freeing them from ever having to think about charging their devices again," said Martin Cooper, who sits on the Energous board of directors.
Cooper is an American engineer who led a team in building the first mobile cell phone in 1972–73, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
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