Ki is bringing wireless power to kitchen appliances

By Andrew Liszewski , a senior reporter who's been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2011, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has announced that it’s releasing the finalized specifications for the Ki wireless power transfer standard that will allow smaller kitchen appliances such as toasters and blenders to operate without the need for power cords. It’s not available to consumers just yet but could be just around the corner, as appliance makers will be able to submit products for Ki certification before the end of the year.

By now, many of us already take advantage of the convenience of Qi and Qi2 wireless chargers. Using a principle called electromagnetic induction where a magnetic field is used to generate an electrical current, Qi devices allow smaller electronics like smartphones and headphones to be simply positioned on pads or stands to charge, instead of having to be plugged in to a power cable with a specific connector.

The WPC’s new Ki standard also relies on electromagnetic induction to wirelessly transfer power to appliances but with some key differences. With Qi, the power from the wireless charger is only used to charge the battery in a mobile device. Remove the battery from a phone, place it on a Qi charger, and the device will still be dead. With Ki, the current that’s generated is used to directly power the motors, heating elements, and electronics that make an appliance run.

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