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The power cable will fade into obsolescence – Orson Nash from qiwireless.com

The quote above relates more to the consumer side of wireless charging, but the prediction still holds true for the enterprise side where charging docks with contacts have been the method to charge enterprise devices like bar code scanners and mobile computers. So, to rephrase:

“Contact charging will fade into obsolescence and give way to a wireless charging method, specifically using the Qi Standard.”

Wireless charging has become commonplace on the consumer side, but it’s on the enterprise side, especially in hospitals, where its benefits have been utilized to solve a decades-old problem: Corroded, dirty, and damaged contacts on enterprise devices.

New technology has vocal critics and vocal fans. Let’s review the commonly cited issues and misconceptions and inject some truth and clarity.

But first, a brief history.

A History of Inductive Charging

Nikola Tesla was the first person to experiment with inductive charging nearly 100 years ago. Nearly 100 years later, wireless charging technology became mainstream due in no small part to adoption by Samsung and then Apple.

The technology lived mostly on the consumer side until recently when the benefits were exploited for enterprise-level devices.

Enterprise devices feature a ruggedness not found in consumer devices. These device types require a high-level of ruggedness to survive day-to-day use in demanding environments. Enterprise devices, unlike consumer devices, feature charging contacts outside of the device, exposed to the environment the user is in. And while lint may build up over time inside a consumer device power plug, consumer devices don’t fail due to charging issues at the same rate as enterprise devices.

That’s where wireless charging enters the scene. Wireless charging removes the contacts as a failure point. If you’ve worked with enterprise devices for hospitals over the years, you’re aware of the issues charging contacts/pins cause, especially in the hospital space, where devices need to be disinfected. Wireless charging ditches those pesky charging contacts/pins. No contacts = no corrosion and no corrosion = no device downtime or maintenance. This solves the number one device failure cause in the industry: Corroding contacts.

No charging related issues improve device failure rates exponentially and keep devices at the patient bedside and on the hospital floor where they belong.

“But I heard that wireless charging is overrated!”

Wireless charging is efficient, reliable, and here to stay, and not merely because it’s convenient or “cool tech” — it solves a very big issue in the data capture industry. And it won’t simply reside in the device space but will expand in the future to charge electric cars and even medical devices.

Hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices could use wireless power to help improve patient experiences and reduce operating costs. Many health care devices are mobile, like EKG and IV machines, but require expensive batteries or a web of wires connected to an outlet. With wireless power, batteries would no longer need to be replaced or serviced and stationary machines would become mobile, giving patients and doctors more recovery and treatment area options.- Orson Nash from qiwireless.com

What the Critics Say and Are Wrong About

Critics cite one or more of the following as reasons to dismiss wireless charging technology in favor of wired charging:

1. Wireless Charging Implies Higher Power Consumption/Lower Efficiency

When it comes to enterprise devices, wireless charging provides efficiency equal to or superior to wired/contact based charging systems. For example, Datalogic’s own Gryphon is fully charged in 4 hours. And the Memor 10 features fast charging capabilities and other charging speed options to fit the user’s needs.

2. Battery Charging Temperature Potentially Affecting Battery Lifetime

As long as a device receives the Qi certification, issues of overheating and a truncated battery lifetime are a non-issue. Battery recharge temperatures are required to be less than 45° C and Qi certified devices receive rigorous testing to ensure they meet these requirements. The “Qi” logo on a device confirms its certification.

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3. Safety Concerns Around Foreign Objects and Electromagnetic Induction (EMI)

The Qi standard includes a number of safety precautions, including heat shielding and foreign object detection. Foreign Object detection prevents energy from emitting from the charger if an object other than the device is detected, for instance, a piece of metal.

Regarding EMI concerns, wireless charging radiates minimal energy and equals zero after leaving the immediate charging zone.

The Six Benefits of Wireless Charging For Enterprise Devices

1. Unparalleled Reliability

Contact and charging problems are the number one failure cause in the AIDC industry. Implementing wireless charging technology has already shown a dramatic reduction in enterprise device repairs.

2. Maximized Uptime

Radically reduced failure rates coupled with the elimination of contact maintenance/cleaning results in significant improvement to uptime. Users already appreciate how the increased service continuity significantly reduces the need for hot spares.

3. Ease of Use

Placement of the device into the charging base, or on a Qi certified charger, guarantees proper charging with zero risks of wrong contact insertions.

4. Full Interoperability

Qi certified devices will work with any Qi wireless charger, enterprise or consumer grade. A specific brand of charger isn’t required, although, in the case of a bar code scanner, the type of charger used will matter for form-factors sake.

5. Better Performance

Some wireless charging solutions have the ability to run fast charging over inductive technology with no compromise as compared to wired performance, plus the option for dynamic configurations with multiple charging speed options.

6. Future Proof

Wireless charging technology isn’t a flash in the pan. In fact, the company Energous produced technology that charges devices over the air without even making contact with a charger. So the next big step is the capability to charge devices over a charging network.

What’s Next?

No contacts on hospital enterprise devices change the game. More and more devices will begin to reap wireless charging benefits in the very near future.

It seems the loudest detractors hail from companies unable to maintain the technology innovation pace and instead attempt to play on the confusion the two different technologies can generate.

The Qi standard enables companies to leverage wireless charging technology for enterprise applications requiring very high-reliability levels. Many industries have begun to test and deploy wireless charging enterprise devices already. They understand innovation at every level is critical for competing in the future.

Still not sold on wireless charging? Visit Advanced Healthcare Solutions website to learn more.

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