A Kashmir deep-tech startup wants to join the international sprint for long-distance wireless power transmission. Prime Movr has engineered a light-based power beaming technology that can convert the energy in light into electric power that can operate without wires. At the same time as global technology giants are all competing to create successful demonstrations at kilometre scales, Prime Movr is aiming to accelerate near-term practically deployable solutions that can scale remotely today.
A Global Race in Wireless Power
Laser power transmission science fiction has become reality within months. Companies such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NTT and Star Catcher Industries in the US are conducting research into kilometre-scale laser power transfer or orbital power grids. At the same time, DARPA is accelerating wireless power programmes as other countries do the same.
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Prime Movr, in contrast to these big-name projects, is deliberately targeting smaller yet commercially viable use cases. Its tech operates using a laser that beams focused energy through the air with high efficiency over long distances, which makes it perfect for situations in which wired charging and regular battery swaps are inconvenient.
“This technology holds a lot of promise for applications such as charging remote sensors and outdoor cameras,” said co-founder Parvez Rishi.
Why Lasers Matter More Than RF
It is also working on radio frequency wireless power, in collaboration with the University of Kashmir. But the company also writes that lasers provide a higher energy density and specificity, which cuts out loss and interference relative to an RF system.
Prime Movr, which is headquartered in India and the US, claims to be a renewable energy and an energy harvesting provider. Its focus is on disempowering traditional sources of energy and the potential to deploy low-maintenance, low-carbon technology for remote electronics.
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Massive laser power grids are probably years away, but work from Prime Movr is indicating we could be benefiting from more quotidian uses of lasers, sensors and surveillance systems before much longer. And by emphasising deployment in the real world, at scale and beyond, not just demonstrating proof of concept, the upstart from Kashmir is staking a claim to the future of wireless power.