Remember Mike Thompson, the creator of the unique Blood Lamp, if not, the Eindhoven-based designer has yet again popped up an innovative lamp that harnesses energy from living algae to power itself. Entitled the “Latro” (Thief in Latin), the sustainable lamp draws inspiration from a scientific invention by the scientists from Yansei and Stanford University wherein 30-nanometer wide gold electrodes were inserted into the photosynthesizing organs, the “chloroplasts,” of algal cells to draw a small electrical current from algae during photosynthesis.
Combining both nature (algae) and technology (lamp) into a single design, the hanging lamp becomes a living object as it extracts energy from a glass chamber of algae that lives on sunlight, carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. Therefore, the lamp needs to be placed in the sunlight, and users can breathe into the handle of the lamp to provide CO2. The lamp also features a side spout to add water and release oxygen during photosynthesis. Integrating a light sensor to monitor the intensity of the light, the sustainable lamp stores the energy in a battery to illuminate your place during dark nights.
Via: Miket/Designboom