UBeam
| Industry | Technology |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011[1] in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, USA |
Key people | Meredith Perry |
uBeam is a U.S. company that is developing a wireless charging system that is designed to work via ultrasound. The company claims that its product will be safe, legal, and will work by delivering power in a directional focused beam, but a number of scientists and engineers have questioned the company's claims publicly.[2][3]
History
UBeam was founded in 2011 by Meredith Perry.[1] The company has received $23.4 million in investment, from prominent venture capitalists and investors such as Andreesen Horowitz, Upfront Ventures, Founder’s Fund as well as billionaire Mark Cuban and Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Marissa Mayer.[4] In July 2015, the startup raised a $9 million uncapped convertible debt round.[5] The company raised $2.6 million of that round through an undisclosed crowdfunding effort with OurCrowd of Jerusalem. Some crowdfunding executives have said that crowdfunding uncapped convertible debt, especially after receiving funding from prominent venture capitalists, is atypical and an unusually complex financing move for a startup without a launched product.[6]
Technology
In November 2015, the company released technical specifications for its proposed system. Ubeam's power beam would use ultrasound with a frequency of between 45 kHz - 75 kHz, with a sound intensity of 145 dB to 155 dB SPL, and that it would use a phased array technique to direct the beam.[4]
Criticisms
Some observers have been critical of the company's ultrasound technology, stating that uBeam's claims are unlikely to be achievable within safe power limits. The intensity of the proposed system announced in November 2015[4] is at or above most peak occupational exposure limits, and sufficient to kill an unshaven mouse within minutes from thermal effects.[7] Humans, with smooth reflective skin and a lower surface-area-to-volume ratio, can survive higher intensities. The company states that the beam will cut out automatically if it is intercepted by objects other than the receiver, ensuring safety.[3]
Critics have cited problems such as the difficulty of achieving high efficiency in sound transfer, of achieving an unobstructed path for the beam, and the high absorption of high frequency ultrasound in air. Together these factors would likely shorten the range of the product, in addition to the possibility of headaches, nausea, or hearing damage occurring at at the required power levels.[2][8][9][10]
References
- 1 2 "Ubeam". Crunchbase. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- 1 2 "Skeptics Zap Wireless Charging | Los Angeles Business Journal". labusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- 1 2 Constine, Josh (October 8, 2015). "uBeam Finally Reveals The Secret Of How Its Wireless Charging Phone Case Works Safely". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
- 1 2 3 Constine, Josh (7 November 2015). "uBeam Declassifies Secrets To Try To Prove Wireless Power Is Possible". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
- ↑ "UBeam Raising $15 Million Debt Round | Los Angeles Business Journal". labusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- ↑ "Maker of Wireless Charger Losing Investment Power? | Los Angeles Business Journal". labusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- ↑ "Effects of Ultrasonic Noise on the Human Body—A Bibliographic Review". International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics.
- ↑ Gomes, Lee (9 November 2015). "Can uBeam's Through-the-Air Phone Charging System Live Up to the Hype?". spectrum.ieee.org. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
- ↑ Dale, Brady (9 November 2015). "Wireless Charging: uBeam's Headache and Nausea Question". Observer. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
- ↑ "uBeam FAQ". eevblog. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-12.