Wireless charging stations for mobile phones have been around for quite some time now and it really is nothing new, but for those who work in engineering jobs, that's all about to change. The main problem with wireless charging docks is that you can't charge the phone unless you are close to a power socket. The engineers at the University of Washington however have now devised a way that could change all of this forever, because they are sending power to a device via a laser beam and this can be done from across the room.

The system was actually developed by Shyam Gollakota and they have devised an invisible beam. The smartphone that they have been using has been altered and adjusted so that it can receive the beam, but there is no saying that this could not be changed so that normal mobile phones can be used. This could essentially mean that laptops, cameras and more could be charged via wireless systems over very long distances.

A paper has since been published and they have designed the laser beam so that it can be installed with a safety system. It also has a very rapid response as well and this helps to ensure that the laser that has been emitted will actually terminate the beam before someone happens to walk in front of it.

The team have mounted a very thin cell on the back of the phone and this delivers a charge to the phone near a beam. The beam is very high-powered and it has the ability to deliver a 2W charge in a 15" squared area from a distance of over 4m. The best thing about this is that it can be adapted and changed to meet the needs of the user or even the technology that it needs to charge.