WPC Unveils Ki Standard: A New Era for Cordless Kitchens

Posted on 05/09/2024 by Vincent Nguyen

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has announced the launch of the Ki standard, a breakthrough in bringing wireless power to the kitchen. Following the success of the Qi2 standard, which enhanced wireless charging for small electronics, the Ki standard eliminates the need for power cords in everyday kitchen appliances like blenders, toasters, and air fryers. Instead, appliances will communicate with a Ki power transmitter, which can be integrated into induction cooktops or hidden beneath countertops and kitchen islands. Delivering up to 2.2 kW of power, the Ki system promises to make kitchens more efficient, convenient, and safer while creating cleaner and more organized spaces.

Designer: Wireless Power Consortium (WPC)

Paul Struhsaker, Executive Director of WPC, explained how Ki will transform kitchen design. “Not only are we cutting the cord, but we’re eliminating it altogether,” Struhsaker said, noting that this advancement would inspire homeowners and designers to rethink how kitchens are used. Ki offers an innovative way to power smart appliances with greater convenience and flexibility, whether for new builds, remodels, or smart home upgrades.

New Possibilities for Kitchen Design

The introduction of the Ki standard opens up new design opportunities for kitchens. Without power cords, appliances are no longer restricted to placement near outlets. This freedom allows designers to create more open and modern layouts. With appliances able to sit on any Ki-enabled cooktop or countertop, there’s more room for creative solutions in kitchen design.

The ability to hide transmitters under countertops brings even more design flexibility. Kitchens can adopt sleek, minimalist looks, free from the clutter of cords. This feature will be especially useful in open-plan designs, where maintaining a streamlined aesthetic is important.

In addition to improving the look of kitchens, the Ki system enhances safety. Accidents are less likely to happen if no cords get tangled or cause trips, particularly in homes with children. The system’s wireless power shuts off automatically when an appliance is removed from the cooktop or transmitter, keeping surfaces cool and reducing the risk of burns.

Smarter Appliances

Ki also introduces smarter appliances. Future Ki-enabled devices will offer advanced features that allow users to control them remotely via smartphones. These smart functions will provide more control over cooking and make kitchens safer and more convenient.

Ki Wireless powering food processor bottom-lit

For designers, this brings an opportunity to incorporate advanced technology into kitchen layouts. Smart appliances connected through the Ki system will be part of the growing trend of smart home integration, offering homeowners easier ways to manage their kitchens.

Space Efficiency and Flexibility

Ki helps improve kitchen space utilization by removing the need for power cords. Without cords cluttering countertops, appliances can be placed more efficiently, and storage areas can be used more effectively. Transmitters hidden under countertops also allow for clean, unobstructed surfaces.

This feature will appeal to those designing smaller kitchens or maximizing the available space in larger ones. With fewer restrictions on where appliances can go, Ki enables more creative and functional kitchen designs.

Next Steps for Kitchen Technology

The development of the Ki standard has involved collaboration from leading appliance brands such as Midea, Beko, Philips, Miele, and E.G.O. These companies are working with WPC to bring Ki-enabled appliances to market, with certification testing expected to begin by the end of 2024.

Ki Wireless powering kettle to boil water

WPC’s certification process ensures that Ki-enabled products meet the highest standards for safety and interoperability. Once certified, products will display the Ki logo, assuring consumers that their appliances meet the standard.

Ki Wireless Power Blender and Pot on EGO cooktop

As Ki becomes more widespread, companies are encouraged to join WPC and use this new technology. With the potential to reshape kitchen spaces, Ki offers designers and manufacturers a chance to lead the next generation of kitchen innovation.

The post WPC Unveils Ki Standard: A New Era for Cordless Kitchens first appeared on Yanko Design.

A lounge chair you can ‘lean on’

Posted on 28/09/2018 by Sarang Sheth

Remember the Ovini Balance Stool from last year? The Sway Chair is the Ovini’s bigger brother with a backrest! Designed to be a lounging chair that has the flexibility of perhaps the beanbag, KI’s Sway Chair comes with a hemispherical base that rests on a freely rotating and swiveling base that has 4 legs. The contact points between the seating area and the base have ball bearings concealed within them that allow you to lean forwards, backwards, or even sideways in the chair, choosing a position that’s comfortable for you. With a simple physical action, you can change the chair from a work-chair to a lounger to lean back and relax in. There’s a certain bit of resistance/friction too, which means the chair retains the position you set it in, rather than swinging willy-nilly. Oh, and this one, unlike the Ovini, also comes with a rather nifty backrest as well as an adjustable foot-stool!

Designer: KI

ki_sway_chair_1

ki_sway_chair_2

ki_sway_chair_3

ki_sway_chair_4

ki_sway_chair_5

ki_sway_chair_6

ki_sway_chair_7

ki_sway_chair_11

ki_sway_chair_12

ki_sway_chair_10

The Most Impressive Shoes Ever Made

Posted on 20/06/2017 by Sarang Sheth

The Ki ecobe is one of those eye-opening products that you experience once in a few years. Designed with an aim to be socially responsible and sustainable in mind, the Ki ecobe footwear becomes one of the most impressively designed products with an even more impressive list of problems solved through great design application.

The footwear design comes as separate modules that can not just be interchanged for style, but even worn separately for functionality. Rugged when you want it, bare-basic when you need it, and comfortable when you demand it, the Ki ecobe manages to pull off something no one in the shoe industry has dreamed of achieving… Complete, well-articulated modularity that has a strong purpose. Born from a need to make a show that challenges the unsafe sweatshop practices of having people and children work with toxic chemicals, the Ki ecobe doesn’t use a single drop of glue. Rather than presenting itself as a challenge, the absence of glue actually makes the Ki ecobe a vastly better shoe than most.

The Ki ecobe comes as three different styles of footwear. The in-boot is like a good-looking and comfortable pair of foam/fabric indoor shoes and is designed so it can stay on your feet at all times (they’re also washable). A rugged outsole, strap, and laces can be added to the in-boots, turning indoor slipper into outdoor sneaker. Your feet remain guarded always, and the outsole protects the in-boots from getting damaged. You can directly wear the outsole and strap without the in-boots too, like a pair of laced sandals. The outsole comes with a rather unique tread that acts as a Lego brick stud as the strap fits comfortably into it, giving you shoe that’s incredible to look at even from the bottom. Each component comes in a wide array of colors and patterns, giving you the ability to make up to 10,000 different styles… or even 14 different styles if you were to buy two separate Ki ecobes and mix and match between In-boots, Outsoles, Straps, and Laces. You can custom select the color/pattern for each and every component of your Ki ecobe shoe on purchase, along with your size, pretty much allowing you to design/build your own shoe to your personal taste.

Each Ki ecobe takes not more than 5 minutes to be built, unlike shoes/sneakers that require manual labor and an average of 30 minutes per piece of footwear. Since parts are made separately, they can be swapped when they begin experiencing wear and tear, meaning you discard modules and not the shoe itself. The shoes come molded and stitched/knitted; and all the assembly is done through the laces and the press-fit between the outsole and the strap. Not a single drop of glue is used anywhere in the manufacturing process, therefore making workspace conditions much safer for the laborers involved, while also resulting in a shoe that won’t fail you because of build-quality issues.

It’s unsurprising that the Ki ecobe has bagged almost all conceivable design awards for being a shoe that impressively tackles three giants of shoe design, i.e., modularity, unsafe working conditions, and the set-in-its-ways footwear industry. Among many, the footwear design is a recipient of the Red Dot Design Award, the iF Design Award, the Green Good Design Award, and was a finalist at the IDEA Awards. Click below to support the Ki ecobe and be a part of history as it changes the footwear industry for the better… and let’s hope the big shoe companies can “follow this one’s footsteps”!

Designer: G.D Kim

BUY NOW: $69 ~~$99~~