IKEA sometimes seems like a DIY store disguised as a furniture store. We may go there looking for a new sofa or kitchen table, but, to the DIY enthusiast, it’s a shop full of possibilities. While wandering through the local IKEA, [Erich Styger] noticed they had some Qi wireless chargers and receivers for a very reasonable price, so he bought a few and added wireless charging to his Mikroelektronika Hexiwear.
[Erich Styger] didn’t like the clumsiness of the Hexiwear’s USB charging options and, at the price he got the IKEA Vitahult Qi phone case wireless receivers at, he couldn’t resist buying a few for his projects. After carefully separating the circuitry from the phone cases they came in he opening up the Hexiwear. He removed the battery connector and soldered the charger to battery charging circuit. [Erich Styger] then 3D printed a new back to the Hexiwear’s case to fit the new circuitry. A quick test with the IKEA charging pad proved the hack had worked.
IKEA has become something of a DIY enthusiasts go-to shop, with everything from weather stations to a camera slider at a decent price. Walking through the maze inside the store, the DIYer doesn’t see lamps and boxes and shelves, they see light projectors and enclosures and, well, everyone needs shelves.
And sometimes, they’re a DIY nightmare.
I wanted to modify one of their TV stands (I can’t recall which one). So when I partially picked up the stand, I was surprised how light the furniture felt for the apparent mass. Turns out the bulk of the thing is really made out of corrugated cardboard surrounded with a wood frame (for the hardware) with a thin veneer skin.
I’d say it took about twice the effort and time to make the modifications to that furniture than it would making similar modifications to a similar, but solid, piece of furniture.
Where cheap is king…oh wait, we’re not talking about Walmart, are we?
Yet a solid version of the piece would have cost 3x the price IKEA charges.
I have a massive wall of BESTÅ closets – 7 segments wide and 2,70m high. Mostly the square doors, but also 18 drawers – all together IKEA charged €1.502,- for the whole thing – and keep in mind that this includes 19% VAT also!
For that kind of money you won’t usually get anything close to this size and also forget about any drawers.
Of cause this thing has downsides too, but hey, works great for me.
So…. Why’d you buy it? IKEA lists what each item is made of on their website. It didn’t say it was solid wood, so why would you expect it to be?
I never said I bought it.
We’ll, you did say you modified it (“I’d say it took”) so I’m assuming that means it was free? If so, no hack on a free item can ever be a nightmare.
The Ikea QI charger I got uses a 15-something volt power supply. Kind of cuts down on its hacksbility.
A similar unit I got from DealExtreme uses a standard 5volt USB charger. I attached this charger to a cubby hole in the car that just fits my phone, connected 5 volts from an existing USB charger and I have wireless charging in the car! Very awesome and convenient.
There are smaller Qi receivers available on everyone’s favourite auction site futon everyone’s favourite low price electronics producing country. Probably cheaper unless you happen to spot a bargain in Ikea. I stuck one in a Nook eReader fairly easily.
https://0xfred.wordpress.com/2014/08/21/adding-wireless-charging-to-the-nook-glowlight/
Futon = from. Seriously – how long have we been asking for edit functionality?
I’m surprised no one has “hacked” something in. ;-)
Wireless charging embedded in futons ?
that’s actually a pretty genius idea, i often leave my phone on the sofa arm…and if it could charge while it sat there…
Worth mentioning that IKEA has in some European countries released the Trådfri series of wireless LED bulbs and a matching remote button. All based on Zigbee Light Link. Will roll out worldwide in 2017 I read somewhere.