Towards a Smarter and Sustainable Planet
What is the most dangerous part in a car? The majority opinion is the “nut behind the wheel”. In this case, the trend towards cars that drive themselves (the so-called smart cars) makes immense sense. Think about this: Whether they are smart cars, bridges and roads that monitor their own health (smart infrastructure), or buildings that reduce energy (smart buildings), all of them require sensors that measure a whole host of things. How are you going to power these soon-to-be trillions of sensors? Obviously, wiring them is not an option and neither is using batteries. Imagine replacing billions of dead batteries at periodic intervals! On the other hand, one way is for the power to be self-sustaining, just like the technology that requires its use. A vibration here, little light there, or maybe a hot/cold interface somewhere is just about enough to do a few things: power the sensor to measure something and then send the data wirelessly into a receiver or perhaps into the cloud for further action. For instance, let us consider the market’s recent interest in charging cars wirelessly as referenced in this article. Electric vehicle manufacturers are beginning to show an increased sense of enthusiasm as they begin to ponder upon the idea of charging EVs without having to even plug the car into a device. This is an idea that is not so new to us at Optixtal! In the same way that cell phones and wireless networks changed the face of communication, we believe that our supercapacitors, coupled with dynamic wireless charging, can revolutionize transportation. What makes our concept even more unique is that we propose using supercapacitors to charge EVs while they are in motion, an idea vastly contrary to the one mentioned in the article. In essence, this concept combines technology and imagination to help deliver a lighter, greener, and safer car. At Optixtal, we envision creating power storage components with the right geometry, flexibility, and electrical properties to sustain sensors for a long time to make possible the first steps towards a green world. More power to you!