Dynamic beam steering for wireless optical power transfer in IoT applications

The alignment of a receiver with a pencil beam in a wireless optical power transfer (WOPT) system employing a resonance beam charging (RBC) technology limits the establishment of a resonance cavity. Accurate tracking necessitates precise and dependable monitoring, which requires the exact placement of transmitting and receiving devices. Herein, we present a concept of a two-dimensional (2D) beam steering mechanism for RBC-based WOPT systems utilizing dispersed laser beams. The proposed approach allows a significant improvement, including reduction of scanning times and minimization of errors, in relation to conventional pencil-beam-based systems. Experimental results reveal 14% faster acquisition time efficiency, an 18% improvement in pointing accuracy, and a 24% enhancement in tracking accuracy. These results establish the prerequisites for the implementation of dispersed beam steering in the RBC-based WOPT system. This capability empowers the system to charge movable devices and Internet of Things devices consistently in smart factories. (c) 2024 Optica Publishing Group