I-Corps: Smart Textile Charging Platform for Wearable and Portable Devices

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is in the wearable device market. The customer discovery process will provide critical data to determine the wireless charging needs for medical professionals, patients, nurses, first responders, and other users who may use wearable devices. The wearable market is expected to be $58B by 2022. Specifically, the technology will impact patients and the most marginalized groups such as the elderly and infants by providng wireless charging to their body-worn devices. It will also allow military/defense personnel to stay on duty while their body-worn communication devices and tactical gear are continuously charged. This I-Corps project will advance an innovative wearable technology approach combining textile-based radio-frequency (RF) modules and antennas for power harvesting. Implementation into a smart charging platform provides power transmission via novel antenna topology and power management circuitry suitable for the charging needs of wearable, medical, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The proposed anchor-shaped antenna allows misalignment-resilient power transfer for body wearable charging solutions. Combination of the anchor antenna and high efficiency rectifier circuit provides a seamless power collection and transmission method integrated into the upholstery of surfaces (e.g. chair, couch, bedding). This system will charge gadgets, medical, or military equipment and enable communication while charging through daily life activities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.