Malaysian trio creates wireless charging technology for use on the moon
By – Thiruselvam
A trio of 29-year-olds has developed technology capable of allowing more efficient wireless charging in space, including on the moon, demonstrating that Malaysians have the ability to contribute on the international stage.
The product, a wireless power bank for satellites, was developed by Muhammad Kamil, Razlan Dhamir Hamdan, and Justin Lee, all of whom have qualifications in software engineering and marketing.
The project qualified for the Startup World Cup held on Dec 1 last year, a competition among top startups from around the world to identify the next emerging unicorn.
The idea of a wireless power bank for satellites was conceptualised by Razlan, whose interest in space was inspired by Neil Armstrong’s success as the first person to land on the moon. Muhammad and Lee soon joined in the endeavour.
Razlan, a Universiti Teknologi Mara graduate, said the project would involve building a charging station to connect satellites, but without the use of wires.
Instead, radio signals are used, similar to wirelessly charging a smartphone using a power bank.
“Conventional technology is very large and not energy-efficient because, for example, if you want to send 100 watts of power (to space), the customer’s device may not receive it fully. We, on the other hand, can channel all of it,” Razlan told FMT.
Muhammad said the invention has attracted the attention of lunar rover developer Astrolab, which has inked an agreement with SpaceX to transport its first rover to the moon on board a Starship flight projected to take off in 2026.
“We have an agreement, and hopefully we can do ‘moon testing technology’ there. We hope to be able to test out technology before signing customers on,” said Muhammad.
He hopes that the trio’s efforts will help dispel the notion that Malaysians are mere users of technology and do not contribute to its advancement.
“Not many Malaysians are brave enough to develop new technology,” said Muhammad.
“I hope to encourage more Malaysians to invent their own technologies. We may be doing something in space, but surely there are others who are brave enough to create new technologies for use on earth,” he added.
Source – DAILY EXPRESS
