RETAILOBSERVER.COM NOVEMBER 2018
42
W
ireless power recently transformed the smartphone
industry, and now it's about to become the main
ingredient for smarter, more convenient kitchens. The
kitchen is the centerpiece of living spaces. It's a place where
friends and family gather to break bread and enjoy community.
While it's a functional space, it's also a place that deserves to be
beautiful.
In a world where people seek ease and simplicity first, the
cordless kitchen promises to revolutionize the culinary experience,
from food preparation to cleaning.
Soon, wireless power surfaces will be in every room of the
house, including the kitchen. Convenient and space-efficient,
these wireless power "hot spots" can be installed in multiple
locations – on a countertop or even the kitchen table. The
combination of cooking, preparation and consumption on the
same surface could be a significant advantage for small kitchens.
The Wireless Power Consortium and its members want to bring
proven, safe wireless power to the smart kitchen. The WPC's
Kitchen Working Group is developing the standard for the
cordless kitchen to universally define specifications of an interface
between cordless kitchen appliances and inductive power
sources for powering these appliances.
Imagine a future where a power transmitter installed in a kitchen
table could change the kitchen table from just a place to eat to a
place for more communal cooking. With no wires in the way, kids
and parents can work together to prepare and eat the family meal
without having to leave the table.
Alternatively, imagine a small apartment in a major city like New
York, London or Beijing, where space is always at a premium.
With power transmitters built directly into the countertops, the
same space can be used to power a coffee pot, rice cooker or
food processor, as well as heat up an electric pan. When mealtime
is over, the appliances can quickly be stowed away and the
countertop can be simply wiped clean, leaving the space free for
other uses.
In addition to convenience, smart cookware can bring a new
dimension of intelligence to devices, allowing for more precise or
remote temperature and time control. Cooks can use those same
features to follow recipes more precisely – no more wondering
just how hot "medium high heat" really is.
It's too early to say when wireless kitchens will go mainstream.
We do know that when wirelessly powered kitchen appliances,
cooktops, and countertops eventually hit the market, they will
share one very important thing in common: the same open, robust
and safe standard from the WPC. For more information, please
visit www.wirelesspowerconsortium.com.
RO
WIRELESS POWER
TO BECOME THE NEXT ADDITION
TO THE SMART KITCHEN
A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S
Haier Wireless image courtesy of Haier
