I think everyone is worrying (or celebrating) over nothing.
In the first place, the concept seems to be based on computer-guided lasers rather than on Tesla's wireless transmission via EM waves. Tesla's
experiment into that was a huge success until his backer realized there was no way to charge for all the power being transmitted.... EM waves are not
directional enough to prevent someone from setting up a homemade receiver and getting free power. This device would be fraught with similar problems,
unless it was instituted into a structure after the power had passed through a metering system connected to wires.
In the second place, while the article states tht the laser would shut off within one millisecond if the power beam was interrupted by, say, a person,
what are the safety protocols? In other words, what happens if something fails in that shut-off circuit?
Thirdly, any device that uses such a system (like a cell phone charging automatically while you are in such an electric 'hotspot') will have to be
equipped with a way to receive the power being transmitted. There's a big difference between attaching wires directly to the current source (plugging
something in) and obtaining power from EM waves or laser.
What we have here is some very ambitious folks who apparently have no concept of thinking out a plan before trying to implement it. the cost for
special chargers/devices to use the power, the possibility of health hazards, and the complexity involved with tracking and 'lasering' every device
in a specific area are simply insurmountable from a practical viewpoint in this time period.
TheRedneck
P.S.: Strictly speaking, Tesla was more engineer than scientist, He had an amazing ability to see the obvious and a penchant for designing devices to
use what was then cutting-edge technology. He has earned his place in history, but that does not mean his work was not based on the earlier works of
more scientifically 'pure' minds (Marconi, Oersted, Gauss, Voltare, etc.).... it definitely was.
Still, he was responsible for inventing the Tesla coil, a variation of which does indeed run the spark plugs in gasoline engines. He is also
responsible for the decision to use high-voltage AC to power the electrical grid as opposed to DC, making the grid much more effective and efficient.
While Tesla made many mistakes throughout his life, on that issue, Edison got it wrong and Tesla got it right.
His position of respect at ATS stems not only from his penchant for developing new ideas in simple manners, but also in the fact that he dreamed, as
many of us do, of freedom from the economic tyranny of costly energy. The fact that the FBI confiscated his works upon his death does nothing to
damage his reputation here, either.