sonicEnergy

SonicEnergy (previously uBeam) is a U.S. company that claims to be developing a wireless charging system to work via ultrasound. Scientists have strongly criticised the plausibility of this proposal.

SonicEnergy
Native name
uBeam
FormerlyuBeam
TypePrivately held company
IndustryTechnology
Founded2012 in New York, New York United States
FounderMeredith Perry
Headquarters
Marina del Rey, California
,
USA
Key people
Meredith Perry, Matthew O'Donnell, Martine Rothblatt, Chuck Davis, Ken Hertz, Mark Suster
ProductsWireless Power, Ultrasonic Transceivers, Ultrasonic Sensors
ServicesWireless Power
Website

History

SonicEnergy was founded in 2011 by Meredith Perry. SonicEnergy won PennVention in April 2011 and demonstrated the first prototype of the technology at The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital Conference, D9 in May 2011.[1][2]

SonicEnergy has received $26 million in investment from venture capitalists and investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Upfront Ventures, Founders Fund as well as billionaire Mark Cuban and former Yahoo! Inc. Chief Executive Marissa Mayer.[3] Axios reported that SonicEnergy privately demonstrated a working prototype of the technology at the Upfront Summit on February 2, 2017.[4] SonicEnergy publicly demonstrated wirelessly charging several iPhone 7s, Samsung Galaxy S7's, and LEDs simultaneously to USA Today, which was published on the front page of the newspaper on June 1, 2017.[5]

By 2016, all of SonicEnergy's original engineering team had left the company, with some engineers leaving before their stocks had vested.[6]Also in 2016, the former VP of Engineering Paul Reynolds wrote a series of blog posts stating that SonicEnergy's technology did not work.[7][8]

In September 2018, Meredith Perry stepped down from her role as CEO as the company changed to a business-to-business model. She was replaced by Jacqueline McCauley.[9] In January 2019, McCauley was replaced by Simon McElrea as CEO[10] and then in December of the same year Will Kain replaced McElrea as acting CEO.[11] In the same announcement, the name of the company was changed from uBeam to SonicEnergy. Will Kain stepped down as CEO in May 2021.

Technology

In November 2015, the company released technical specifications for its proposed system. SonicEnergy's system would transmit ultrasound at frequencies between 45 kHz - 75 kHz, with a sound intensity of 145 dB to 155 dB SPL, and it would use a phased array technique to direct the beam.[3]

Criticisms

Some observers have been critical of the company's ultrasound technology, stating that SonicEnergy's claims are unlikely to be achievable. Critics have also cited problems such as the difficulty of achieving high efficiency in sound transfer, achieving an unobstructed path for the beam, and the high absorption of high frequency ultrasound in air.[12][13][14][15]

The Australian electrical engineer Dave Jones has been a frequent critic of SonicEnergy, stating it "will NEVER be a practical solution",[16] and has offered detailed explanations on why "it will never work."[17]

Ultrasound safety

Ultrasound energy has the potential to produce biological effects on the body. Ultrasound waves can heat the tissues slightly. In some cases, it can also produce small pockets of gas in body fluids or tissues (cavitation).[18] The dose response relation between occupational exposure to very high frequency noise and resultant hearing risk is unknown.[19]

The company claims that the beam will cut out automatically if it is intercepted by objects other than the receiver.[20]

References
  1. "D9 Video: uBeam Demo". Wsj.com. Retrieved 1 October 2017 – via www.wsj.com.
  2. "New technology beams power over sound waves". 3 June 2011.
  3. Constine, Josh (7 November 2015). "uBeam Declassifies Secrets To Try To Prove Wireless Power Is Possible". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  4. "uBeam finally shows off its wireless charging tech". Axios.com. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  5. "uBeam's Meredith Perry shows her stealth wireless charging technology really works". Usatoday.com. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  6. "The hype around wireless-charging startup uBeam got way ahead of reality, say former engineers".
  7. "UBeam wireless power's CEO Meredith Perry steps aside amidst B2B pivot".
  8. "Ex-employee claims wireless charging start-up uBeam is a sham: Report". 12 May 2016.
  9. "Exclusive: Ubeam CEO Meredith Perry steps down". Axios. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
  10. "UBeam names new CEO". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
  11. frank. "SonicEnergy™ Official Name Change and Vision for 2020 Announced | SonicEnergy". Retrieved 2019-12-21.
  12. "Skeptics Zap Wireless Charging | Los Angeles Business Journal". labusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  13. Gomes, Lee (9 November 2015). "Can uBeam's Through-the-Air Phone Charging System Live Up to the Hype?". spectrum.ieee.org. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  14. Dale, Brady (9 November 2015). "Wireless Charging: uBeam's Headache and Nausea Question". Observer. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  15. "uBeam FAQ". eevblog. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  16. "EEVblog #1001 – uBeam Ultrasonic Wireless Charging DEBUNKED".
  17. "EEVblog #1224 – uBeam is Sinking!".
  18. Health, Center for Devices and Radiological. "Medical Imaging - Ultrasound Imaging". Fda.gov. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  19. "OSHA Technical Manual (OTM) | Section III: Chapter 5 - Noise". Osha.gov. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Retrieved 2017-09-29. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  20. Constine, Josh (October 8, 2015). "uBeam Finally Reveals The Secret Of How Its Wireless Charging Phone Case Works Safely". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
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