KASHMIR—Jan 16—Prime Movr on Jan 15 announced the launch of its innovative Laser Power Transmission technology, which converts optical energy from laser beams into electrical energy. Prime Movr’s solution enables small-scale laser power beaming. This capability makes it possible to power devices without the use of wires. The technology holds promise for untethered long-range applications with increased efficiency.

Based in Kashmir, with members in India, Egypt, and the US, Prime Movr is vying to be a leader in a rising trend of laser power transmission technologies. Their launch is timely. Large entities have recently been in the news for their laser power transfer projects. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has a program to beam power over long distances, while Star Catcher Industries is focused on building an orbital power grid to beam energy to satellites and lunar vehicles. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries recently announced a partnership with NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) and has conducted experiments to transmit laser power over a kilometer.

While Prime Movr’s system is dwarfed by these much larger systems, the company hopes its technology can enable a wide range of smaller wireless applications. Design Manager Adel Muhammed of Port Sad Egypt, feels that new applications will result from the innovations. He states: “There will be countless opportunities to use this technology to design new applications which were previously impractical, such as long-distance powering of remote sensors and outdoor cameras.”

The founders of Prime Movr are also developing a similar wireless technology using radio frequency (RF) in collaboration with the University of Kashmir’s Institute of Technology. While development with RF goes forward, the partners realise that laser technology offers several unique advantages, including higher energy density and more focused targeting. These advantages make the technology particularly well-suited for powering remote, mobile, and hard-to-access electronic systems where traditional wired or inductive charging solutions are impractical. The laser power transmission technology can be leveraged to power applications such as remote sensors, outdoor camera systems, and other autonomous systems.

Co-founder Parvez Rishi comments: “We are delighted to add lasers to our collection of wireless power transfer technologies. The ability to transmit focused energy over long distances will have broad appeal across several applications.”