Tetherless is a concept for the elimination of constraints from electrical power delivery systems. Three separate solutions are presented in a progression of increasing technology. Each stage is able to address and refine more than the previous one through foreseeable technological advancements. The main objective of the concept is to provide the user with a more flexible, adaptable, and versatile interior environment. The solutions allow control by the individual, not the system, of how and where electricity is to be used. The problems and constraints of existing systems can be broken down into three categories. First is the limitation of logistics. We are bound by fixed outlets or receptacles which offer little or no adjustability to suit the needs of a variety of users and applications. Second is function. The interfaces with current equipment tend to be awkward, cumbersome and pose safety concessions. Today's products also neglect to address communication as an essential component of a globally oriented society. Thirdly is the sensitivity to aesthetic detail. Present systems have been carelessly expanded with little regard to visual consequence. This has desensitized the public which accepts this clutter as necessary. Tetherless poses questions to the established systems of products and interface hardware. Solutions are proposed based on current and foreseeable technology within the existing framework of power grid generation.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Electricity in art; Electric power systems; Industrial design
Department, Program, or Center
School of Design (CIAS)
Cunningham, Ian, "Versatile power supply" (1999). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from
RIT – Main Campus