After meeting with the Wireless Power Consortium and identifying Qi wireless charging as one of the highlights of this year’s CES in terms of market adoption, it was particularly interesting to see what other companies are doing with Fli Charge’s wireless charging technology. Bretford makes the Juice Mobile Power strip, which is geared toward use in classrooms but is also seeing interest from hoteliers and other industries.
Bretford is one of several licensees, including Craftsman, using the Fli Charging technology. They’ve placed conductive charging strips along a long track, which itself attaches to a wall outlet and converts the AC power to DC. From there, wired power pods can be arranged in a variety of configurations to charge devices ranging from cell phones to laptops. The pods support USB-A, USB-C, or Barrel, and the system is tested to IEC 62368 safety standards. Up to 30 laptops can be charged from one outlet.
In person, the mobile charging stand has clearly gone through a lot of testing and design. The sides are smoothly sloped to make the strip easy to walk over, and the attached power hubs are magnetized to the strip and easily detach in the case of someone tripping over the cord. Bretford said that they plan to launch in March 2018 and have seen interest from several school districts which plan to use the product in classrooms.
While WPC is still working on developing standards for mid-sized devices such as kitchen appliances, Fli Charge has demonstrated charging pads able to support power tools. A Fli Charge representative said that Craftsman may sell Fli Charge-capable power tools starting in the third or fourth quarter of 2018. While not as high-profile as Qi or some of the other major players at CES, Fli Charge wins a nod for its versatility and practical solutions.