Today we’re taking a look at an interesting product just launched on Kickstarter. Stephen Co from Canada has invented this beautiful lamp that uses 60 LED lights to create a so called Persistence of Vision. Combined with a steady stream of water set to vibrate at a certain frequency, changing the LED’s frequency results in various reactions from the water based on these frequencies.
The result is stunning and very futuristic:
By continually updating the frequencies it is possible to create unique and awesome patterns in the water stream, and when illuminated by the RGB LED’s results as the one above becomes easy to achieve. And some of the possibilities are mind-bending such as the possibility to have the water flow upwards like so:
Besides being a very cool and visually stunning gadget, the technological achievements on this product are commendable. Aquarius has been built to fit in most homes, with a slim profile that doesn’t take up much space and fits in the window sill. But perhaps most intriguing is the fact that it’s possible to prod and probe the water streams with ones bare hands to truly explore this stunning piece of art/lamp.
And if the water streams are too distracting it’s also possible to just use the LED lights as a mood setting device, accent light or even night lamp. In total there are 11 different settings, such as “Unicorn” which displayed a rainbow of colors, or “Chaos Theory” which randomly chooses the LED colors and water frequencies and thus provides something truly unique each time the program runs. The developer has plans to release many more of these patterns, or settings as the product matures.
Another awesome aspect of this product is the fact that it’s developed on open-source Arduino IDE technology. That means that programming capable users can even code their very own patterns, or integrate Aquarius with their smart home products, mobile phone or any other gadget or piece of tech they so wish.
Aquarius is priced at a very reasonable $249 CAD, which includes a fully assembled lamp, power adapter for both EU and US sockets, and the complete set of source files for the tinkering hobbyist. Should you wish to get your hands dirty and develop one yourself, for just $20 CAD you can get the full source code and design files to make your own in the shed.
Either way, check out the project on Kickstarter here – I know I will.