Powerkiss: Furniture that Charges Without Wires : TreeHugger

powerkiss wireless charging table closeup photo
Photo Credit Emma Alter

No more wires and wall-warts! Powerkiss introduces a world without chargers. They build an induction charging module into furniture, and supply a small charging stick that attaches to your phone. It will be easier to use this in Europe, which is moving toward a charging standard; the charging stick could even be integrated into the phone. It doesn't produce enough power right now to do laptops, but as their energy requirements come down they may soon.

I interview Powerkiss founder and CEO Maija Itkonen.

The wireless system is based on resonance induction – an old, trusted and cost-effective technology. Power is created between two sets of resonating coils, several in the furniture module and one in the charging stick. To charge the gadgets, one only needs to place them on the charging surface of the furniture. As the current devices do not yet support wireless charging, Powerkiss has an external charging stick for the devices. The upcoming common standard for universal mobile phone chargers will make the device adaptation even easier. At present the Powerkiss technology is suitable for small handheld devices, but in the near future it will be adapted for larger equipment, such as laptops.

More at Powerkiss

powerkiss wireless charging table photo

The Powerkiss Table is designed by Terhi Tuominen, who

has studied furniture design in both London Metropolitan University and the University of Art and Design Helsinki. Currently based in Finland, she has been running her own design agency since 2006, working on projects in the fields of furniture design, interior architecture, as well as exhibition and event design for clients varying from advertising agencies and law firms to retail spaces.