The government has set up a demonstration base to support commercialisation of wireless power transfer technology used in electric vehicles, robots and industrial equipment.

The Ministry of Science and ICT on Wednesday held an opening ceremony for a "real-world wireless power transfer testbed" at Kyungpook National University's Dalseong Campus in Dalseong County, Daegu. About 100 industry, academia, research and government officials related to wireless power transfer attended the event, along with the ministry, the Daegu city government and the university.

Wireless power transfer is a technology that supplies power without a cable connection. As AI has recently expanded into physical AI operating in real-world spaces such as robots, cars and manufacturing facilities, the importance of technology that can supply power to devices without human involvement is also growing.

To boost related industries, the ministry allocated the 85 kHz band for wireless charging of electric vehicles in 2022. In 2023, it eased the licensing burden for wireless chargers for electric vehicles of 11 kW or less, and last year it eased the licensing burden for industrial wireless chargers of 1 kW or less.

To help companies verify technologies they develop in real environments, the ministry selected the Daegu city government and Kyungpook National University as project operators through a local government competition in 2024 and pushed ahead with building the testbed. The testbed consists of an indoor test space that simulates factories and logistics facilities, and an outdoor environment where wireless charging of cars and robots can be tested.

It is also equipped with devices needed for a wireless charging system, including power conversion devices, transmitting and receiving pads, batteries and communications devices. Companies can therefore test performance by replacing only components and products such as transmitting and receiving pads they develop, without separately building an entire system.

The ministry plans to support productisation and commercialisation of wireless power transfer technology by linking spectrum allocation, regulatory improvements and testbed construction. Data secured during the demonstration process will also be used to improve relevant technical standards and systems and for standardisation at home and abroad.

The ministry said, "We hope the opening of this testbed will connect companies' R&D achievements to actual products and businesses and bring forward the application of wireless power transfer technology at industrial sites." It added, "We will continue institutional and administrative support for industrial growth."