Ways to integrate Qi wireless charging into your life
Wireless charging has become a staple in almost all recently made phones and wearable technology with Qi being the standard that defines the wireless power transfer. It's great being able to charge your phone without having to worry about plugging in a lead but all of the wireless chargers available at the moment aren't exactly small and don't blend in well around the house. We've been thinking about how we could possibly use the Qi Wireless Charger in a way that would fit into our lives seamlessly.
It's a really simple item, there's a "Transmitter Pad" and a PCB that contains all of the devices power management circuitry. All you have to do to set the item up is plug a power source (5V 1A) into the micro USB port and then place a compatible device on the charging pad. We recommend using the Official Raspberry Pi Power Supply it works great and some of you might have a spare one lying around.
So where could you use it?
Well we assume most of you spend a large amount of time each day at either a desk or a workbench working on your latest projects. Why not create a hidden embedded wireless charging section on your desk? When done properly like this it can remain completely hidden and leave no wires in sight. This concept could be taken a step further, you could create wireless charging spaces on your kitchen sides for all the cooking we're sure you do or you could fix one in your bedside table.
Some car manufacturers are now even offering wireless charging as an optional extra in their newer cars but buying a brand new car just for wireless charging isn't exactly the most cost effective idea. Why not create a wireless charging surface on your dashboard or in one a cup holder. This guy got jealous that his wife's new car has wireless charging so he decided to give his ride an upgrade.
If you've ever got in from a long day out and your phones on 10% battery the last thing you want to do is faff about trying to both find the charger and also find a way to make the charger reach the sofa. You really just want to sit on the sofa and watch some TV while possibly checking out the latest and greatest products from Cool Components without worrying about charging your phone. Why not embed a Qi charging point into the sofa arm so you can place your phone on it and still use it while it's charging.
If you're working on any projects that use any form of wireless charging or have some more ways you think we could use a Qi charger please do let us know! If you have any further questions about Qi charging or anything else please don't hesitate to contact us.