Space Age Power

"Node Electric Outlet eliminates the need for a power strip. Just plug it in anywhere on the square!" 

Oh how I fell in love the first time I saw this pin. Aesthetically something like this just screams "Space Age!" to me, like the future is finally here. The only thing missing is a slight blue glow where you add the plugs to help hint that I might be one step closer to a flying car. I imagine Rosie from The Jetson's would use something like this to recharge her batteries.

But logic kicked in, and I knew that this was one of those "too good to be true" pins. I often times come across pins that I know are conceptional designs being pinned as if they are real. I had a feeling this was one of those, so I went on a bit of a hunt to find out more information on this outlet. 

It's from a company in Japan called Metaphys. It's doesn't appear to be available for sale on their site. In fact it's titled as "Proposed Outlet". In my search I read somewhere that they are working hard on making this a very real thing, but unfortunately the wiring and electric codes, at least here in the U.S., are strict enough that something like this just wouldn't be up to code as it is currently. 

Not only would something like this make it easier for Jr to jam a butter knife.. and fork.. and probably half the silverware drawer into the outlet, there is no grounding on this. It also begs the question of just how MUCH you can plug into this - it looks like with standards plugs you could probably jam pack this outlet with up to 16 plugs, which I'm pretty sure is asking for a fuse to blown in the best of situations. Not only that, but you'd never want to use something like this in place of a power strip - power strips often times are designed to work as surge protectors, so in case of a power surge your electronics don't get fried. This wouldn't be able to do that, and if fact with out grounding you run a higher risk of damaging whatever is plugged into it. 

So for now, no. It's not really a real thing YET, and even if it was, unless it was designed better with grounding options and better safeguards I don't see it being available at least in the U.S. any time soon.