Intelligent wireless power transfer via a 2-bit compact reconfigurable transmissive-metasurface-based router

• Published in: Nature communications 2024-04, Vol.15 (1), p.2807-2807, Article 2807
• Main Authors: Li, Wenzhi, Yu, Qiyue, Qiu, Jing Hui, Qi, Jiaran
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/166/987; 639/301/1019/1015; Cables; Commercialization; Environmental monitoring; Humanities and Social Sciences; Information processing; Information transfer; Internet of Things; Localization; Metasurfaces; multidisciplinary; Object recognition; Plane waves; Power consumption; Power supplies; Power supply; Reconfiguration; Routers; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Wavelengths; Wireless power transmission
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46984-4

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things, numerous devices have been deployed in complex environments for environmental monitoring and information transmission, which brings new power supply challenges. Wireless power transfer is a promising solution since it enables power delivery without cables, providing well-behaved flexibility for power supplies. Here we propose a compact wireless power transfer framework. The core components of the proposed framework include a plane-wave feeder and a transmissive 2-bit reconfigurable metasurface-based beam generator, which constitute a reconfigurable power router. The combined profile of the feeder and the beam generator is 0.8 wavelengths. In collaboration with a deep-learning-driven environment sensor, the router enables object detection and localization, and intelligent wireless power transfer to power-consuming targets, especially in dynamic multitarget environments. Experiments also show that the router is capable of simultaneous wireless power and information transfer. Due to the merits of low cost and compact size, the proposed framework may boost the commercialization of metasurface-based wireless power transfer routers. The rapid emergence of the Internet of Things has led to new power supply challenges. Here, authors propose a compact wireless power transfer framework that can intelligently deliver wireless power to devices in dynamic environments and simultaneously transfer information.