Designer Mike Thompson has created an incredible living lamp that is powered by algae! Spotted over at Designboom,
the Latro Lamp derives energy from an algae chamber that requires just
sunlight, CO2, and water to operate. Stick the lamp outside, breathe
into it, and voila, you've created your own bio battery-powered living
lamp.
This algae-powered lamp transforms CO2 into light.
Designed by Mike Thompson, the Latro Lamp gets energy from an algae chamber and needs just sunlight, C02, and water to operate.
The lamp is made possible thanks to a recent discovery made by
researchers at the universities of Yansei and Stanford. The researchers
found that a tiny electrical current can be extracted from algae
during photosynthesis. The Latro Lamp features a battery that stores
energy generated by the algae throughout the day and a light sensor that
controls the lamp's intensity, preventing the algae from becoming
malnourished. Thompson believes this discovery could lead to an algae
revolution: 「As advances in nanotechnology lead to increasingly
energy efficient products, plant life such as algae will become
attractive sources for tapping energy,」 he says.
For now, though, the Latro lamp remains an idealistic design project —
after all, who realistically wants to care for a lamp like a household
pet?
