Having spun out from Imperial’s Wireless Power Lab in 2020, Bumblebee Power has developed deep expertise in lightweight systems that can supply high levels of power wirelessly. Unlike conventional systems that require close proximity and precise alignment – think wireless phone charging – Bumblebee’s technology uses a much higher frequency for transmission.

“Using a higher frequency means that fundamentally the wireless link performs better,” said Professor Paul Mitcheson, Professor of Electrical Energy Conversion at Imperial and Senior Scientific Adviser to Bumblebee Power. “That means you can have a larger gap between the power transmitter and receiver, and you don’t need to line things up exactly. That’s beneficial for things like autonomous vehicle charging, drones, and e-mobility.”

Power transfer in space

Transmission of electrical power in space is an important problem. Wired connections are heavy and otherwise ill-suited for use in many environments in space, such as the surface of the moon, due to the presence of lunar dust which can damage or clog physical connectors. 

This leads to a limited set of design choices for rovers and robots. Current rover designs rely on onboard electricity generation. For example, the Mars Perseverance Rover uses the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, effectively a long-lived nuclear battery. 

Finding better ways to transmit power – such as reliable and robust wireless power transfer – could unlock new designs and different approaches to human activity in space.

By improving the robustness of power transfer, Bumblebee Power says its technology could extend the service life of systems sent to space, reduce mission costs, and increase the return of important scientific data. Now a project with MDA Space, funded by the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund, aims to develop a proof-of-concept high frequency Inductive Wireless Power Transfer (IWPT) system that could play an important role in humanity’s exploration of space. 

“The next wave of robotic explorers heading to the Moon and beyond will rely on smarter, lighter technologies,” said James Dunning, CEO of Bumblebee Power. “By removing the need for physical power connectors, we can give these missions more freedom to move, operate, and endure – and in doing so, expand our ability to explore and understand space.”

Invented at Imperial

The research behind Bumblebee Power’s wireless charging advances began in 2012, led by Professor Paul Mitcheson, Professor in Electrical Energy Conversion, and Dr David Yates, Research Fellow, both in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

When they formed Bumblebee in 2020, Imperial licensed four patent families to the startup, which has subsequently continued to develop the technology for a range of commercial applications, such as autonomous vehicle or drone charging and e-mobility.

“We recognised that new semiconductors hitting the market would enable a different approach to inductive wireless power, so we started looking at what we could do if we weren’t constrained by incumbent technology,” said Professor Paul Mitcheson.

Both founders remain involved in the day-to-day operations of the company, with David as Chief Technology Officer and Paul as Senior Scientific Adviser and Director. The seeds for the collaboration with MDA Space were planted when representatives from that company heard a lecture given by Professor Mitcheson about developments in wireless power systems.

“I didn’t imagine our technology would have applications in space when we started out! That’s one of the benefits of sharing your work – you meet people with different perspectives,” said Professor Mitcheson. “This project with MDA Space is a great validation for us, and I’m hoping to learn a lot about the technical challenges of deploying electronics in space, working with an expert partner with many years of experience in that area.”

For more startup news, check out the other articles on the website, and subscribe to the magazine for free. Listen to The Cereal Entrepreneur podcast for more interviews with entrepreneurs and big-hitters in the startup ecosystem.