Wirelessly charged smart underpants hit the floor at CES
As we become ever more reliant on the electron shuffling marvel that is electricity, we're rapidly getting to the point where we no longer have to tether all our gadgets and devices to our wall sockets to charge them.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2018) 'Wirelessly charged smart underpants hit the floor at CES', 311 Institute, 20 January. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/wirelessly-charged-smart-underpants-hit-the-floor-at-ces/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
This year could well prove to be the year we finally see the first true wireless power charging products appear on the market that let us charge our gadgets, such as wirelessly charged drones, and, of course, phones, to wirelessly charged BMW cars, at a distance. This week at CES 2018 Energous, one of the leaders in the space who recently became the first company to get an FCC certification for their WattUp Mid Field charging product showed off the first WattUp supported product, a set of smart underwear called Skiin from a partner called Myant.
What the FCC approval means is that the company’s now able to sell their Near Field and Mid Field charging products into the US market, Near Field being wireless charging via direct contact, like a charging pad, and Mid Field being wireless charging at a distance of, in this case, up to 3 feet, making the latter product perfect for charging device on a desk or night stand. The company is also working on a Far Field charging product that will likely emerge this year that will let users charge devices up to 15 feet away.
Electric Underpants To Go Mainstream?
In Myant’s case they use Energous’ WattUp wireless charging tech to charge the embedded sensors in their Skiin underwear that track metrics like heart rate, without the need for a device like a smart watch, and it’s likely they’re going to be just the first in a long line of apparel companies to adopt the technology.
Of course, smart clothing isn’t Energous’ end game, eventually they want to bring wireless charging to all kinds of devices, from phones to watches to laptops, with the idea that, for example, you could have a WattUp Near Field charger on your desk for quick charging, a Mid Field charger in each room to charge your devices while you walk round the house, and a Far Field charger in your office to be used by everyone in the workplace.
According to Dialog Semiconductor, another of Energous’ partners the company has already built and demonstrated two wireless charging chips to its customers, suggesting that there are a number of other third parties who building more products based on the technology, so watch this space.
What this means for your organisation
Power stops limiting design.
When devices charge across a room, products no longer need ports, pads or daily plugging in. That frees designers to embed sensors in clothing and everyday objects. Expect a wave of products that were impractical before.
Health data moves into clothing.
Garments that monitor the body without a watch show where wearables are heading. Health, insurance and sports firms gain new streams of continuous data. They will also face new questions on consent and privacy.
Workplaces become charging zones.
Energous plans chargers in every room and offices where everyone draws power over the air. Facilities teams should consider how this changes desks, devices and safety rules. Early standards and certification will shape which platforms win.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which of our products could drop cables or batteries entirely?
- What health data could smart clothing give us, and how would we protect it?
- Should our offices plan for wireless power at room scale?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
As we become ever more reliant on the electron shuffling marvel that is electricity, we're rapidly getting to the point where we no longer have to tether all our gadgets and devices to our wall sockets to charge them.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 20 January 2018. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2018). Wirelessly charged smart underpants hit the floor at CES. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/wirelessly-charged-smart-underpants-hit-the-floor-at-ces/
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