Antenna that will turn 5G networks into wireless power grids?

The Georgia Tech development team developed a rectenna to utilize a 5G network built for high-frequency communication as a wireless power grid to supply power to IoT devices.

The developed antenna is based on the Rotman Lens. The Rotman lens is a lens developed by Walter Rotman. It has a shape that extends several feet like a spider, so it is possible to obtain multiple views without physically moving the body, so the structure is included in radar systems.

Large-diameter antennas are required to wirelessly supply enough power to move low-power devices from a distance. However, there was a problem in that the large-diameter antenna cover area was narrow, and the antennas were distributed over the 5G base station and did not work well. There have been cases where power generation has been attempted at high frequencies such as 24GHz and 35GHz so far, but problems were also pointed out.

The antenna successfully solved the range and sensitivity trade-off by combining wireless DC technology and achieved 21 times the power compared to the previous one. This structure is for the service provider to perform wireless power supply. Related information can be found here.