KBB - March 2009 - (Page 38)

T ech Just Like Magic eCoupled takes wireless to a whole new level Maybe you saw it at last year’s K/BIS or maybe you caught it on HGTV’s show coverage. For those who did, Fulton Innovation’s wireless blender was a pretty eye-opening experience, one that might lead someone to ask, “Is it magic?” Well, uh, no. But then again, the science behind the demo is about more than just giving friends and family something to talk about while you whip them up a few frozen drinks. The company’s eCoupled technology, which is what’s really making that blender run, has more widereaching applications in the kitchen and beyond. So what is eCoupled technology? Simply put, it’s intelligent wireless power. According to David Baarman, director of advanced technologies at Fulton Innovation, the technology embeds a coil outﬁtted with a transceiver under a surface, like a kitchen countertop, to generate a local magnetic ﬁeld, which is then converted into electrical power by a second coil that is built into a blender or any other small countertop appliance. “The minute the device passes over the coil, it communicates to the embedded coil, which in turn identifies it, be it a blender, mixer or chafing dish, and gives it what it needs in power,” said Baarman. eCoupled will enable blenders (left) and other small appliances to operate wirelessly, keeping countertops free of clutter. At present, Fulton Innovation’s product roll-out will include automotive products such as an in-car console (above). COOKING SMARTS If this sounds a bit like induction cooking, there’s a reason for that. Like induction cooking, eCoupled is grounded in the same science of near-ﬁeld inductive coupling, but adds to it a digital communications component that enables it to do some pretty far-out things. For example, in addition to powering small electrical devices wirelessly, the same coil can actually cook food, transforming the countertop into a kind of induction cooktop. To do this, the company has developed a pan with a smart handle that can “talk” to the embedded coil. Three buttons on the handle can be depressed to adjust the power level, and to protect the countertop surface, Baarman suggests using a magnetic trivet. But let’s say you want to multitask while you’re making lunch, and better yet, lunch is some new recipe that you’ve downloaded from the web onto your laptop. Normally, you’d have to stay close to keep an eye on the pan or, at the very least, check on the status of your food from time to time to prevent it from burning, a common occurrence, said Baarman, when people multitask. With an eCoupled setup, a USB transceiver could be inserted into your laptop to allow it to communicate with the pan and the cooking surface and adjust power and temperature according to different cooking “proﬁles,” such as boil or simmer. “So you can go do your laundry, and the laptop will beep you when the pan is done with a profile,” Baarman said. Or if the recipe requires the addition of an ingredient, the laptop could alert you either by cell phone or some other messaging system. Of course, recipes have to be translated to be properly transmitted, but, as Baarman noted, “We have a tool that allows this to be designed easily.” ACCOMMODATING FEATURE Another bonus, eCoupled easily accommodates devices that use different voltages, so “if you have a rice cooker or a special Italian espresso maker, this manages both,” said Baarman. “You don’t have to worry about cords, cables or plugs.” Naturally, all devices do have to be designed for the technology, and the company is working with several manufacturers on this front, developing products not only for the kitchen, but also other areas of the home, as well as the ofﬁce. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, in addition to its kitchen demonstration, the company showed a cell phone charger, a home entertainment vignette complete with a surface for charging remotes and other electrical devices, as well as power tool applications. Although speciﬁc product launches are slated for the end of 2009, the initial roll-out unfortunately will not include those intended for residential use, but instead will be limited to automotive items such as an in-car console with a ﬂashlight. In the meantime, check out the eCoupled website at www.ecoupled.com for a series of videos demonstrating the technology in action. I —Alice Liao 38 + K BB March 2009 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com http://www.ecoupled.com http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - March 2009

KBB - March 2009
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Editorial
Digits
Consumer
Trends
Products
Profile
Design
Family Affair
Runner’s World
Access
Tech
Education
Practice
Ad Index
Editorial Index
Favorites

KBB - March 2009