Greener Gadgets: The Lightimus Solar LED Light

March 2, 2009 · Print This Article

There were a lot of amazing eco-friendly inventions unveiled during the 2009 Greener Gadgets Design Competition, and ultimately, there could only be one winner: The Tweet-a-Watt. One design that didn’t make the top 4 but was brilliant and eye-catching all the same was the Lightimus, an indoor solar light that acts as a constant reminder of the cycle of life.

From Core 77:

Light, Time & Us… All we are sharing the same time and the same planet to which the sun gives life. However, modern life makes us self-focused, and causes us to forget that we are a part of total life chain on our planet. Global warming, enviromental pollution and biological pollution threaten this chain and a sustainable lifecycle.

Lightimus is a decorative lighting design emphasizing the importance of the life cycles of our planet by keeping on its own life cyle during its usage. The product is in the form of an hourglass. One side is composed of solar panels and accumulates energy during day time. The other side is composed of a series of LED lights to lighten its enviroment during night time. When fully charged, its NiMh Battery can illuminate 12 LED bulbs (3mms) for up to 8 hours. When the lights fade away in the morning, you rotate the other side and put it under the sun; in the night it will be ready to illuminate its enviroment again. And the cycle continues - there is no switch on this product.

The LED bulbs on the Lightimus fade away gradually, mimicking the setting sun and representing the passage of time. It may not be the next amazing piece of eco-technology that’s gonna help us save the world, but it’s a slick piece of green design that we’d love to see go into production.