Alumni spotlight: Josh Yank

Josh Yank, MBA '14, is unleashing true wireless power through Yank Technologies, Inc. The company develops flexible, long-range and high-power wireless charging technology for automotive interiors, factories and the space program.

Yank started his business while completing his degree, and he landed contracts from the auto industry after charging a cell phone in a contactless manner inside a friend's Jeep Compass.

"Wireless power is very challenging," Yank says. "There was a well-known MIT study in which a light bulb was charged from a distance of a few meters. However, the system was very sensitive to changes in distance and alignment. If the light bulb was moved a few centimeters closer or further away, the whole system could be damaged. That's not practical for applications like powering a car seat, which can be frequently adjusted by passengers."

The downside of automotive contracts is that he's working on cars that won't be produced for several years, which means a long wait for royalties. The company derived more immediate revenue from a recently fulfilled contract with NASA, to develop a wireless system delivering several kilowatts of power to future robotics on the Moon.

"Lunar regolith, or Moon dirt, is very abrasive because there is little to no atmosphere," Yank says. "So, mechanical connections are unreliable, because the dirt is abrasive and gets everywhere. Plugging in to charge something is not realistic. With wireless power, you can enable the establishment of lunar habitat."

Yank Technologies was selected for two additional NASA contracts: one for wirelessly charging NASA robots on the Moon more efficiently and reliably; the other for new connectors for the Moon and Mars to reliably interface with power transmission lines in the establishment of lunar and planetary colonies.