One of the consistent topics of interest to our technology integrators and end-consumers is a future development of a common wireless power standard. Standardization would maximize the value that consumers derive from wireless power, however deciding how to arrive at such a standard and what that standard will look like are still uncertain. Like the development of personal computers and mobile phone adapters, the answer to these questions should and will be dictated by consumers and the way they use wireless power.

While the development of any such standard is likely to take several years and generations of products, there are two fundamental approaches to development currently being pursued. First, a technology driven standard that relies on what is currently feasible with today’s technology and molding consumer needs to that technology. This approach has received significant media exposure, because of its connection to the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). Second, a consumer driven standard that focuses on the incremental value to consumers of wireless power and designing the technology around the needs and desires of consumers. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has adopted this ideology and contains a broader, more diverse range of consumer products and developers than its counterpart at the WPC.

Unfortunately for many developers of wireless power applications, the push for standardization has been exclusively limited to a technology-first approach, leaving the consumer perspective out of the standardization discussion. A standard is useful only in the sense that it creates value for end-consumers of wireless power. By not letting the consumers’ needs dictate the development of wireless power, groups such as the Wireless Power Consortium are actually limiting adoption by application developers and end consumers. Limiting in the sense that future potential consumer uses/applications are being foreclosed for short-term technological restrictions.

However, this is not to suggest that the CEA approach is not without flaws. Letting consumer needs drive the standardization creates higher burdens for technology providers as well as an extended development time for creating such a standard. Greater utility is likely to lead to higher technological requirements, which require a significant period of consumer use before any standard can actually be implemented. Much like the development of the standardized mobile phone adapters, which could not have been adopted until the understanding of consumer uses and the industry surrounding those uses had matured.

In the end, consumers will be the final judges of what standard to adopt. Wireless power innovators must focus their resources on developing technologies that meet and exceed the needs of consumers, not work to limit consumer choice and mandate a standard inconsistent with consumer needs and wants.

Thanks,
John
(Business Development)