UltraPower: Powering Tangible & Wearable Devices with Focused Ultrasound

Wireless power transfer creates new opportunities for interaction with tangible and wearable devices, by freeing designers from the constraints of an integrated power source. We explore the use of focused ultrasound as a means of transferring power to a distal device, transforming passive props into dynamic active objects. We analyse the ability to transfer power from an ultrasound array commonly used for mid-air haptic feedback and investigate the practical challenges of ultrasonic power transfer (e.g., receiving and rectifying energy from sound waves). We also explore the ability to power electronic components and multimodal actuators such as lights, speakers and motors. Finally, we describe exemplar wearable and tangible device prototypes that are activated by UltraPower, illustrating the potential applications of this novel technology.