Drop & Forget

Background

One thing that has always intrigued me is the concept of a wireless charger. Currently available models seem to be lacking and leaving users disappointed, so I decided to try my hand at improving them. Currently, users have to place the phone precisely on the tiny charger, with it often not starting to charge on the first try, leaving them to choose the wired charger for its reliability. I know there has to be a way to do the same with wireless chargers, make them reliable with the right modifications. Fortunately, I had some cheap wireless chargers I could play around with.

I first started by mapping the maximum displacement my wireless charger module would tolerate.

Then my unconscious mind added a raised lip around the maximum error radius. It looks like this:

Then I 3D Printed it, and boom, another problem was solved.

It worked surprisingly well for a very simple construction. It seemed to be 100% reliable, I was not able to spot a single drop that didn't start charging.

Here's a video of it working, which gives a good insight into how this charger works.

3D Model