Wireless charging isn’t a new idea, but it requires that users place their phones on a charging mat. But this innovative project on Indiegogo called MotherBox aims to bring us closer to the era of true wireless charging. In an ideal scenario, you’d be able to walk around the house freely with your phone charging and that’s exactly what the team behind MotherBox set out to do.
Created by the Yank Technologies, a startup which is part of Columbia’s University’s startup lab, the MotherBox is an alien-looking hub that can transmit 2 watts of power to any smartphone located in a range of 20-inches. It works like this – the closer you are to it the more power it will send your way. So if you’re 5-inches away from the MotherBox, you should get up to 10W flowing through your device.
Sure, 20-inches isn’t too far, but it’s still more than you can expect from the majority chargers available on the market today.
There’s another caveat. You’ll need to connect your phone to a receiver which plugs into the power port of your smartphone. You’ll also have to use a case, to ensure the receiver doesn’t hang out. The receiver is compatible with Samsung, Huawei, LG, HTC and Google devices.
The MoterBox works in league with a smartphone app which allows users to customize the rate of charging. It also displays notifications to alert you when connected devices are running low on juice.
Yank Technologies is offering the MotherBox which ranges up to 20 inches and is a bit larger (6 x 6 x 6 inches) and the MotherBox Mini (3.5 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches) whose reach is up to 10 inches. Another difference between the two is that the Mini features a rechargeable battery it’s also portable, while the MotherBox needs to be connected to an outlet.
Since it launched back in late February, the project has been fully funded. Luckily there are still Late Bird bundles available, if you’re looking to grab one. For $89 you’ll get a MotherBox + USB Cable + MotherBox Receiver. The estimated delivery date is set to September 2017. A MotherBox Mini bundle is a bit more expensive, as it will ship out for $99.
