UBeam

History

uBeam was founded in 2011 by Meredith Perry while she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania for the school's invention competition, deemed "PennVention". uBeam won PennVention in April 2011 and in demonstrated the first prototype of the technology at The Wall Street Journal All Things Digital Conference, D9 in May 2011. At 21 years old, Perry is the youngest person in history to have ever demoed at the Conference. uBeam has received $26 million in investment, from prominent venture capitalists and investors such as Andreesen Horowitz, Upfront Ventures, Founders Fund as well as billionaire Mark Cuban and Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Marissa Mayer.

Leadership

uBeam's executive leadership team consists of:

Technology

In November 2015, the company released technical specifications for its proposed system. Ubeam's power beam would use ultrasound with a frequency of between 45 kHz - 75 kHz, with a sound intensity of 145 dB to 155 dB SPL, and that it would use a phased array technique to direct the beam.

Safety

There is little to no literature on the safety of 45–75 kHz ultrasound in air, however there is significant literature available on the safety of ultrasound through human tissue. The FDA states "Ultrasound imaging has been used for over 20 years and has an excellent safety record. It is based on non-ionizing radiation, so it does not have the same risks as X-rays or other types of imaging systems that use ionizing radiation." uBeam states that their emitted power levels are 50 times lower than the lowest imaging exposure limits set by the FDA for medical imaging, making the system inherently safe and within all existing regulatory constraints. The Company also states that the beam will cut out automatically if it is intercepted by objects other than the receiver, ensuring safety. Dr Joseph Pompei of Audio Spotlight has published data showing that their product safely generates ultrasonic sound pressure levels around 130 dB (at 60 kHz) measured at 3 meters with no impact to humans nor pets.

Criticisms

Some observers have been critical of the company's ultrasound technology, stating that uBeam's claims are unlikely to be achievable. Critics have also cited problems such as the difficulty of achieving high efficiency in sound transfer, of achieving an unobstructed path for the beam, and the high absorption of high frequency ultrasound in air.