element14 Community selects finalists for “Beyond the Phone” Challenge

element14 Community has selected 12 finalists in the “Beyond the Phone” Wireless Power Challenge. The finalists were chosen from hundreds of submissions around the world to build wireless power solutions for everyday devices.
 
The competition aims to liberate design engineers from the tether of traditional power supplies, and ultimately bring wirelessly controlled devices to consumers. Following a challenge in 2013, this is element14’s second wireless power competition, and the proposed projects have evolved significantly.
 
“The quality of the submissions we received was incredible. Some of the proposed builds will provide modern conveniences in the home or office, while others could actually help save lives. The element14 Community was there during the early stages of wireless power development, and we are proud to help it reach its full potential by sponsoring these 12 unique design projects from around the world,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community at element14.
 
Competitors will have time from March 24 until June 27, 2014 to complete their projects using the Wireless Power Solution Transfer Kit, which is produced by both Texas Instruments (TI) and Wurth Electronics. Participants will also receive a budget of $275 for additional components, courtesy of TI, and a 12-month CadSoft Pro Licence.
 
The finalists, as well as their locations and design proposals, are Dr Janis Alnis (Latvia), Mark Beckett (New Zealand), Kevin Jose (India), Hendrik Lipka (Germany), Alex Marconnet (U.S.), Rich Mayfield (U.S.), Martin Puig (Germany), Eduardo Iscar Ruland (Spain), Maneesh Sharma (India), Xu Weijie (China), Malcolm Whinfield (Australia).
 
The grand prize-winner of element14’s “Beyond the Phone” Wireless Power Challenge will receive a Macbook Pro with retina display. The runners-up will receive a Google Nexus 7. The winning competitors will participate in a Google Hangout with Texas Instruments in May to discuss the evolution of wireless power.