Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last week demonstrated the ability to power a 60-watt light bulb from a power source seven feet away without wires. The scientists call it "WiTricity" and it could change our techy lives when it comes to worrying about recharging our cell phones, digital cameras, iPods, remote controls, shavers, electric toothbrushes, USB devices (coupled with Wireless USB!), etc.

According to the MIT scientists, enough wireless electricity could be transferred over room-sized distances through the airwaves to run a laptop even when objects completely obstruct the line-of-sight between the power source and appliance. "As long as the laptop is in a room equipped with a source of such wireless power, it would charge automatically, without having to be plugged in," said MIT physics Professor Peter Fisher. "In fact, it would not even need a battery to operate inside of such a room."

One of the accomplishments MIT solved was the best medium for the transfer of power. Through the use of resonant objects, MIT broke the line-of-site requirement while reducing the amount of wasted power radio waves would have projected. "WiTricity is based on using coupled resonant objects. Two resonant objects of the same resonant frequency tend to exchange energy efficiently, while interacting weakly with extraneous off-resonant objects."

Marin Soljacic, the head of the team, said that "now is a good time to start thinking about commercializing WiTricity." With MIT licensing the technology, he believes commercial products could be on a sale in "a few years, if you started working very seriously."

So what are you waiting for?

You can read more about this accomplishment via the MIT website and the work is featured in ScienceXpress (paid subscription required to view complete article).