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I was taken aback when reading he first piece of language that hits you when visiting WiTricity’s website. It’s language that most corporate websites I visit don’t have in terms of buzz and idealism:

Imagine a future in which wireless electricity makes everyday products more convenient, reliable, and environmentally friendly.

The reality of wireless electricity is close at hand, thanks to the efforts of engineers at MIT and the development and coming product offering of WiTricity, a Watertown-based company who is working on an appliance that will effectively eliminate wired appliances and devices in your living room.

The gist of the technology behind the company (as far as I understood it) has to do with matching the resonant frequencies of the magnetic fields of two devices to form one continuous magnetic field. This coupling of the magnetic fields allows for the transfer of energy via magnetism – and thus without wires. This method also avoids some of the dangers of transferring energy through magnetism. Pretty cool stuff.

Developed at MIT by a team of physicists, led by Professor Marin Solja?i?, the idea for wireless electric power was spawned in the brain of Professor Solja?i? when he became frustrated with plugging in his cell phone all of the time, not to mention remembering his cell phone charger when going places (I feel his pain here). Once the technology was developed, WiTricity, Inc, was spun out of the lab to develop commercial products that could be offered to the public.

The company is currently working on a device that is around the size of a small picture frame and can be installed behind the sheetrock on your walls or under counters in your kitchen. These devices will send the electro-magnetic waves out that will charge the devices setup around them. No information on the pricing of these devices, but you can bet that they’ll be very popular when they hit the market. This idea is so compelling that the company could find itself going public very soon after it’s product offering hits the market. The company has raised $4 million in venture funding to this point, and their initial product offering is apparently around 17 months away (look for it around New Year’s 2011). Until then, check out this video: