American startup Acqua Industries presented an unusual device called Power Mole on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform. It supplies power from the home to outdoor CCTV cameras, LED lights and other devices without the need to drill into the wall or run an extension cord through a window.
The gadget consists of two round elements: a transmitter that is attached to the inner surface of the window glass, and a receiver mounted on the outside. The first one connects to a home outlet indoors, the second one connects to the target device via a USB cable. The outdoor unit is protected from water according to the IPX5 standard.
The new product works on the principle of inductive magnetic charging, but in this case the current passes through glass up to 30 mm thick. The built-in rectifier converts alternating current into direct current, which is needed to power the connected gadget.
The developer of Power Mole notes that the efficiency of the device is lower than with the usual method of connecting to an outlet. For example, when connected to a camera that consumes 5 W, energy efficiency ranges from 50% (with a distance of 30 mm between components) to 75% (with a distance of less than 6 mm).
The device can also transmit energy through wood or other non-metallic material. If metal is detected between the “washers”, the transmitter is turned off. The price of Power Mole at the fundraising stage is $59, the first deliveries are scheduled for May of this year.