Wireless Charging Opportunities and Challenges for Wearables: One Size Does Not Fit All

Wearables: smart watches, glasses, virtual reality/augmented reality/mixed reality goggles, clip-on/pocket devices, wristbands, shoes, athletic/sports devices, medical/body-monitoring devices, hearables, infotainment, electronic-based jewelry, and so on, offer diverse and major opportunities for wireless charging, yet they pose numerous and unique technical challenges. Each design becomes an application-specific/product-specific design focused on optimizing power transfer from the charging device [the transmitter or (Tx) side] to the battery-powered wearable device [the receiver or (Rx) side]. This article will address some of the key issues for why one size does not fit all.