Unless you’re really running short of things to talk about, the latest phone charger you’ve bought isn’t exactly the kind of thing you’re going to be in a rush to show off. That could change if a certain new Kickstarter campaign hits its funding target, however.
The so-called OvRcharge is not only a wireless charger, but one that will actually levitate your smartphone as it charges: suspending it in the air with no support other than invisible magnetic fields — all while slowly spinning it around like it’s on an invisible Lazy Susan.
“It’s a one of a kind charger,” AR Designs’ founder and CEO Rukhsana Perveen tells Digital Trends. “It consists of two main technologies: electromagnetism and induction. Electromagnetism is responsible for maintaining its altitude and balance, [while] induction is for wireless power transfer.”
Given that magnets are used for both the levitating and wireless charging process, it’s a pretty neat idea to combine both into one attention-grabbing device. Since a regular comment we’ve heard about wireless charging is that it’s not really wireless at all (since the base unit still has to be plugged in) it’s also a bit like a magic trick — managing to charge your smartphone quite literally through the air.
“The two primary issues involved in magnetic levitation are lifting forces: providing an upward force sufficient to counteract gravity, and stability: ensuring that the system does not spontaneously slide or flip into a configuration where the lift is neutralized,” Perveen continues. “Our team took that challenge, and today we are here with OvRcharge.”
Right now the campaign is almost three-quarters of the way to its funding goal. If this concept grabs you, you can sweep in and pre-order one of the chargers with the $229 CAD ($175) Early Bird OvRcharge Ultra, which will get you a complete set consisting of charger, one charge case, and a power adapter.
Estimated delivery is this December. All things being equal that means that you’ll be able to spend the holiday season dazzling friends and family with your fancy new levitating phone trick!
