November 13, 2017 | Product Brief | Ossia has announced the Cota Forever Battery, a wirelessly-powered alternative to disposable AA batteries. Each year, more than 3 billion batteries are thrown away in the US alone. Although battery makers have reduced the quantity of toxic materials in batteries, battery disposal remains regulated and poses environmental risks.
Initially offered in a AA form factor, the Forever Battery can retrofit devices to receive real wireless power without plugs, wires, or charging pads. Ossia’s Cota system can power multiple Forever Batteries in motion, without line of sight, at a distance. The Forever Battery is safe and does not interfere with other wireless technologies.
Additionally, by adding power and data capabilities, Forever Battery transforms ‘dumb’ devices into Smart devices, allowing millions of already-deployed devices to be integrated into the Internet of Things. Once placed in a device, Forever Batteries enables the user to monitor and partially control that device from the Cota Cloud web platform or mobile app. Consumers can manage power usage and even connect battery-operated devices to communicate with each other.
Forever Batteries can power ‘Smart Home’ products such as security systems, locks, thermostats, remote controls, leak detectors, and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Ossia considers retrofitting these devices a key step towards equipping the world with Real Wireless Power. The company’s vision is to help manufacturers build Cota receiver chips into every device that needs power.
“Forever Battery bridges the gap between the battery-wire age and the wireless power era,” said Mario Obeidat, CEO at Ossia. “When people see how Cota Real Wireless Power can be implemented in a AA battery, they will start to see the vision of Cota everywhere. The Forever Battery will create awareness of Cota and provide confidence that devices will be powered when it matters.”
