A Power Tap is a glass product that can transmit power and data signals wirelessly. The power tap was developed by Cohda Design, a product development company based in the UK. It has the advantage of being able to transmit power through transparent lamination in which multiple layers of glass with a conductive film and glass with a non-conductive film are overlapped. Thanks to this, with only one cable plugged into an outlet on the desk leg, it powers the PC and lamp from the stylish glass desk. You can even charge your smartphone.
In order to send electricity or data from the power tap to the connected device, it is necessary to install a dedicated tap. The glass acts like a large, flat power cord, powered by taps from multiple conductive layers to the connected device. That doesn’t make for wireless charging powered from the glass surface, but it’s worth noting that connected devices still appear to float and function with the cables out of sight.
Since PowerTap glass can be used for anything, a desk to put electronics on is just one example. For example, in a kitchen, if you replace granite with glass, the electric cooktop looks like it’s floating, and it’s also possible to have a flat-screen TV built into the splash-proof panel.
This product has not yet appeared on the market. Codadesign is licensing the technology to Zytronic and others, which will launch a product next year. Related information can be found here.