Garment level power distribution for wearables using inductive power transfer

Wearable and smart devices are gaining in popularity, with many users now using multiple devices. Each of these devices requires individual charging and power maintenance. This paper proposes power sharing between multiple wearables to alleviate some of the burden of charging multiple devices. To achieve wearable and smart device power sharing, we propose using the garments we wear as a power distribution backbone. To allow non-contact power transfer between garments, bi-directional inductive power transfer is used. We demonstrate a novel coil topology called Feed Coils constructed from flexible materials to aid garment integration and user comfort. Our system complies with international guidelines on time-varying magnetic field exposure to human tissue, allowing the system to be operated in close proximity to the body. Three preliminary experiments are conducted to characterize the bi-directional inductive power sharing system and to investigate the feasibility and human factors impacting wearable and smart device power sharing.