KUALA LUMPUR – The advent of wireless gear like smartphones, tablets, and laptops has brought with it certain inconveniences.
The need to charge and manage these devices can be a nuisance as it involves a tangled web of cables.
Enhance Track Sdn Bhd, in cooperation with NanoMalaysia Berhad, has unveiled a game-changing new technology that could benefit the everyday consumer.
Its wireless charging device, the Malaysia Energy Transmission Technology (METT), was developed and built in Malaysia by the research and development company based in Puchong.
METT which consists of two components, a transmitter and a receiver uses radio waves from the former to charge the latter. At present it uses WiFi signals to transmit the charge, without affecting or interfering with the WiFi performance.
“We have our own transmitter and that transmitter works on WiFi, but it does not interfere or affect the Wifi performance,” says Dr Benedict Foo, managing director and founder of Enhance Track Sdn Bhd.
“The potential is huge because everyone has a mobile device that requires charging.
“With wireless charging, we will have the mobility to move around without being tied down by wires.”
During the launch event today, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) Khairy Jamaluddin, lauded the project as both a landmark scientific development and as a means to spur the economy.
"The launch of METT today marks a milestone for both the technology sector as well as our country, it addresses a problem statement of a particular market segment – in this case it eliminates the need for messy wires and is the green solution to batteries – it also opens up new business and economic opportunities to help stimulate the economy."
Originally conceived by Enhance Track six years ago, the project received a major boost when a collaboration was established with NanoMalaysia three years ago.
Specialising in nanotechnology and nanomaterials, NanoMalaysia brought with it graphene, an advanced material that reduces the size of the device.
“We already had a functional product, and working with NanoMalaysia has enabled us to reduce the size of the device,” added Foo.
The use of graphene is an extension of the National Graphene Action Plan that was launched by the government in 2014.
The Covid-19 pandemic also negatively affected the progress of this project, in fact delaying the launch by three months.
As of now, METT is scheduled to enter the market in the middle of 2021, with a receiver estimated to cost between RM300-RM500 and a transmitter to cost between RM1,000-RM2,000. Multiple receivers can be used per transmitter.
Because the technology behind METT is new, the first generation of devices will be additions to be used with current phones and tablets.
“At the moment because the technology is new, we cater to after-market products for the mobile devices that you currently have now,” says Foo.
“But in the future, when things take off, we do expect to be working with mobile phone manufacturers, to license this technology to them to have it built into the mobile device itself,” he said.
Currently, the only device on the market that offers anything close to wireless charging is the Qi charger. However, its limitation comes in the form of its relatively short distance coverage of up to four centimetres. Charging pads also exist, but the range is also short.
With an estimated range of between three and 10 metres, METT could truly be the first long range charger for mass consumption.
But charging small handheld devices is only the first step for Enhance Track as there are preliminary plans to scale up the technology for use with IoT (Internet of Things) and electric vehicles.
“Together with NanoMalaysia, after the mobile charging device is launched, we are looking to charging electric vehicles. There is also a possibility of charging on the go, without the need to be stationary,” Foo said.
Enhance Track has also received interest from overseas, having been contacted by representatives from Australia, Germany and the UK, among others.
With these open possibilities, there are benefits for the country’s economy with an estimated 2,800 new jobs to be created because of METT. Applicants with STEM knowledge would be highly sought after.
All this would not have been possible without the cooperation with NanoMalaysia and the investment of the Malaysian government, as Enhance Track as an SME would not be where it is now.
"There is certainly a role for government in funding and in developing early stage tech development, because in the early stage, your fancy computers are nowhere to be seen, your big companies are nowhere to be seen.
"You have to invest in fundamental research, you have to invest in applied research, you have to invest in experimental development, and that's where government comes in," Khairy said. – The Vibes, September 29, 2020
