Company - Reach Power
Product/Service
- Classification
- Space Utilities
- Category
- Power Beaming
Resources - Energy
- Fields
- Wireless Power Transfer
- Status
- Development
- First launch
- Not announced
- Reach Power (Reach), the leader in Wireless Power-at-a-Distance, announced the completion of a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Future Force Energy Campaign contract focused on developing the world’s first wireless power transfer (WPT) energy relay nodes. Relay technology enhances the scalability and range of WPT power beaming, enabling new applications by extending power around barriers and over greater distances.
- The project culminated in a live demonstration at Reach headquarters in Redwood City, California in front of more than 40 government and industry partners. The two-part demo used a Reach transmitter sending power to the wireless power relay and on to a Reach receiver powering an electronic device, marking the first successful routing of a radio frequency (RF) power beam through multiple segments via relay.
- The first demo showcased Reach’s passive relay node, which refocuses a wireless power beam to extend the transmission distance and efficiency of the beam. In the demo, Reach illuminated a light board. Using a unique configuration of metasurface circuit boards, this relay extends a transmitter's range without additional electronics, making it inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
- The second demo featured Reach’s active power relay node. This relay node actively reflects an incoming power beam in a software-driven direction. Operating in two modes—reflect and rectify—the active relay node dynamically reflects and absorbs a chosen amount of the power beam.
Status Comment / Notes
Working with the DoD on several power beaming projects, including one in space (Space Force) and some related to the energy web of the future (DARPA).