Comments on: Tesla’s Wireless Predictions

By: Becky

Becky — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:40:52 +0000

Induction cooking has been around for a little while, but seems to be slow gaining ground in the US. I think the units have been more expensive than gas/electric to purchase. You typically don’t see them in kitchen showrooms (at least in MI) either; one of the owners of a local kitchen equipment store said demand and interest was very low and that was before the recession.

According to one manufacturer at the KBIS show a few years ago, most cookware is now constructed to be used on either gas/electric or induction cooktops (have to have flat bottoms) in anticipation that demand will increase. I’ve heard it is also more common in Europe.

By: Buckethead

Buckethead — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:05:10 +0000

There are also inductive chargers for some mobile devices — but you need adapters, or special batteries, and then leave them on a mat to charge. I think this is more a magnetic thing than beamed power à la Tesla.

By: Johnny Abacus

Johnny Abacus — Thu, 06 May 2010 03:47:57 +0000

Apparently, there is relatively widespread use of induction cooktops in Asia; that’s the most significant use of wireless power transmission I know of.

By: Buckethead

Buckethead — Thu, 06 May 2010 01:35:10 +0000

I’m surprised that Tesla’s power transmission tech hasn’t been used at all, really, in the past. Granted, large scale use seems ruled out by inverse square effects — but you’d think a use could have been found for smaller scale uses like construction sites (power tools) or in the home, for mobile devices.

Maybe there are other drawbacks I’m unaware of.