The concept is meant to support ad-hoc networks that are more secure and local than current Wi-Fi networks, without the need for cables. The team from Japan's prestigious University of Tokyo that is working on the technology envisions the tables being used in business meetings or classrooms, where temporary, instant connections are useful.

(See a from the show floor on YouTube.)

The tables are made using a thin sheet made of small mesh panels, which can contain electromagnetic waves in two dimensions, while also carrying a small electric current. Devices that interact with the sheet must generally be equipped with a special coupler, although team members said it is also possible to use traditional Wi-Fi antennas for Internet in some cases.

"In standard wireless connections, electromagnetic waves are sent through the air, but here connections are made by making contact with the surface," said Akihito Noda, a doctoral student at the University of Tokyo.

"Requiring surface contact creates a lot of restrictions, but on the other hand there are also some benefits. For instance, if you don't set devices on the surface, no false connections can be made, so there are security benefits."