The Powers of Induction Log

Week of 1/22

This week we decided to change the direction of our project. Instead of creating optical character recognition software, we decided to instead build an wireless charger for mobile smart devices. We are planning on creating a stand for an iPad that allows the user to charge while watching videos or surfing the web.

Week of 1/29

We met on Tuesday, brushed up on some electrical engineering basics, and learned about the underlying principles behind inductive power transfer. We learned that iPads and iPhones do not contain receiver coils, but instead require an additional adapter to be able to receive power from an inductive charger. Many smart phones created by another companies such as Samsung do contain receiver coils. We decided to build a charging pad that will work with compatible smart phones. In addition, we decided to design and 3D print an iPhone case that contains an adapter so that audience members at the demo can try out the charger even if they have an iPhone.

Week of 2/8

Blake met with Andrew on Monday and researched Wireless Power transfer and the Qi standard for wireless charging. In addition, he watched a few tutorials on MultiSim, the circuit simulation software available in the ESE Teaching Lab. In light of the feedback from our proposal last week, we are considering changing the priorities of our project and what our demo will look like. There may not be enough information for us to reliably design a charging station that will be compliant with the Qi adapter used by iPhones. We also need to specify our goals in more depth. What are the elements of our design that we really care about? It's likely that our current proposal lacks focus and sufficient detail. Instead of charging stranger's phones (which comes with the additional liability of damage), we are considering having our device charge something besides phones. Details to come after our weekly meeting.