By Sarah Clark
The NFC Forum has expanded its certification programme to include next-generation cordless kitchen appliances that conform to the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) Ki Cordless Kitchen Standard.
Ki is a global wireless power transfer standard for kitchens that aims to eliminate power cords and add a communication channel between the appliance and the Ki power transmitter.
NFC is an integral part of the Ki standard. It is used to pair appliances such as kettles and toasters with wireless charging units. These will typically be built into kitchen work surfaces, removing the need for a kitchen appliance to include a plug and cable and for a kitchen to include traditional electric sockets.
“NFC is used to initially power up the appliance and manage the communication channel,” STMicroelectronics’ Rene Wutte explains in a video showing how the concept works. “It will request the right amount of power from the inverter stage, which can then supply up to 2.2kW of mains power.”
“Our new Ki Standard is expected to reinvent the modern kitchen and our collaboration with the NFC Forum will help bring this use case to life,” says executive director of the WPC Paul Struhsaker.
“Working on an aggressive timeline, the NFC Forum and our shared members, were able to deliver above expectations and on schedule.”
