Gravity Lamp - 200 Years with no recharge or power cords.

User45701

Linky... http://dvice.com/archives/2008/02/gravity_lamp_la.php

"A Virginia Tech student has won the Greener Gadget Award for a clever LED lamp that gets all of its power from gravity, which is a seriously renewable resource. Working kind of like a grandfather clock that needs to be wound in order to work, the lamp has a weight that's raised up every day. As the day goes on, it slowly lowers, with that movement powering the LEDs.
Dubbed the Gravia, the lamp will stand about four feet tall. Encased in glass, the entire thing is lit with a soft, diffuse glow that comes from the 10 built-in LEDs. Because it's self sufficient, there are no cables or cords to worry about, so you can place it anywhere. The best part? It'll last for 200 years if used 8 hours a day, 365 days a year. You'll never buy another lamp again; it doesn't get much more green than that."

I thought that was pretty kool. I hope theys something that gets marketed soon but hopefully they mark up on them wont be too high. Definatly something i would love to get my hands on. Would be very popular for companys and building that are being renovated, even if it costs to install we are talking no lighting bills.

Jesus Wept

Sounds expensive, looks ridiculous.

How many 4 foot tall lamps do you need in your house to light the place?!
It will last 200 years, but I won't, what good is that?!

The_Minister

Read the comments, some of them are good.
As one poster pointed out, it isn't gravity powered, it is powered by stored kinetic power.

thelordofcheese

It's a grandfather clock except with LED's instead of a clock.
Cool idea, dunno if it'd ever take off, mainly because people would whine about having to wind it up every day.

Still, fair play to the lad that came up with it.

rubadub

User45701 wrote: »

Would be very popular for companys and building that are being renovated, even if it costs to install we are talking no lighting bills.

Yeah, my building is fully installed with hundreds of grandfather clocks, saving a fortune.

There are millions of energy scam inventions out there.

Overheal

If youre an Eco-warrior though its perfect. Still I'd just go ahead and use solar panels.

Lifehacker.com had a good one about a ventilated fridge - why spend ESB powering youre fridge when its this ****ing cold outside?

Don1

If it's stored kinetic energy that means you provide the energy to power it by raising the weight to a height.
By that thinking then the energy effectively comes from the food you eat.

It basically boils down at the end of the day to which is cheaper, electrically powered lighting or the food used to replace the energy you use lifting the damn weight every day.

When you factor in the inefficiency of the average human diet/energy system I reckon the electricity would just nudge it!

the dee

Don1 wrote: »

If it's stored kinetic energy that means you provide the energy to power it by raising the weight to a height.
By that thinking then the energy effectively comes from the food you eat.

It basically boils down at the end of the day to which is cheaper, electrically powered lighting or the food used to replace the energy you use lifting the damn weight every day.

When you factor in the inefficiency of the average human diet/energy system I reckon the electricity would just nudge it!

Perhaps, but the human body releases far fewer greenhouse gases and chemicals into the atmosphere than a power plant does.

We're too depenant on electricity these days. And too lazy to accept alternatives.

Kinetic energy ftw!

Don1

the dee wrote: »

Perhaps, but the human body releases far fewer greenhouse gases and chemicals into the atmosphere than a power plant does.

We're too depenant on electricity these days. And too lazy to accept alternatives.

Kinetic energy ftw!

But we do produce a fair bit of ass gasses!

Electricity could be from solar or other renewable sources.

seamus

If only someone could invent a way that you didn't have to lift the weight once a day. A rotating magnet perhaps?

the dee

seamus wrote: »

If only someone could invent a way that you didn't have to lift the weight once a day. A rotating magnet perhaps?

Dear god! Are people really too lazy to lift a weight up once a day? It'd be good exercise at least.

rubadub

Overheal wrote: »

If youre an Eco-warrior though its perfect. Still I'd just go ahead and use solar panels.

A true eco-warrior would live in the dark. A lot of energy is going to be used to manufacture this device.

Don1 wrote: »

By that thinking then the energy effectively comes from the food you eat..

Yep people in gyms are wasting energy. People who use the stairs while an escaltor is beside it are not wasting energy- the escalator will run regardless.

seamus

the dee wrote: »

Dear god! Are people really too lazy to lift a weight up once a day? It'd be good exercise at least.

It just means that it's good as a conversation starter, but useless for practical purposes (except as a house lamp). You couldn't use it as a torch, for example.

the dee

rubadub wrote: »

Yep people in gyms are wasting energy. People who use the stairs while an escaltor is beside it are not wasting energy- the escalator will run regardless.

Saw some cool escalators in Gatwick airport recently. They go really really slow when no one's on them and speed up when you step on them! Mmmm energy saving....

nmk

Overheal wrote: »

If youre an Eco-warrior though its perfect. Still I'd just go ahead and use solar panels.

Solar panels heat your water, they don't give light I think we'll have to get creative with our energy usage in order to preserve what resources the world has left. It's a great idea if it's commercially viable.

axer

the dee wrote: »

Saw some cool escalators in Gatwick airport recently. They go really really slow when no one's on them and speed up when you step on them! Mmmm energy saving....

They have those in Dublin airport aswell.

We waste a huge amount of energy as human beings every day. I think some of this wasted energy could be used for the lamp instead. Yes, it does use your own energy to power it but I doubt you would notice.

seamus

Energy is never wasted, only changed into different forms.

axer

seamus wrote: »

Energy is never wasted, only changed into different forms.

I think you mean Energy cannot be destroyed but only changed into different forms. Energy can be wasted.

Blisterman

Don1 wrote: »

If it's stored kinetic energy that means you provide the energy to power it by raising the weight to a height.
By that thinking then the energy effectively comes from the food you eat.

It basically boils down at the end of the day to which is cheaper, electrically powered lighting or the food used to replace the energy you use lifting the damn weight every day.

When you factor in the inefficiency of the average human diet/energy system I reckon the electricity would just nudge it!

But the average person eats far more food, than they really need to. Why do you think there's an obesity epidemic.
This light would just help shift some of that stored energy from their ass.

the dee

We need to invest in clean and renewable energy and we need to do it now. No more laziness and complacency! It will work out much cheaper in the long run, even if it is inconvenient for some.

rubadub

axer wrote: »

I think you mean Energy cannot be destroyed but only changed into different forms. Energy can be wasted.

Exactly. Like the lads who will drive 2 miles to a gym, do 4 miles on a treadmill and drive 2miles home again.

seamus

axer wrote: »

I think you mean Energy cannot be destroyed but only changed into different forms. Energy can be wasted.

But "waste" would imply that it's destroyed or consumed. And as you point out, it can't be destroyed.

Actually I think that if we could work on using the energy as it changes into different forms, "chaining" each form as it were, we could dramatically reduce our need to generate it from stored energy types such as fossil fuel.

To take a stupid and pointless example - imagine a lamp. It converts the electirc energy into electromagnetic energy (light). If we could then convert this light into another form of energy (say back to electricity - solarish panels), we wouldn't necessarily be able to convert all of the light into another form, but perhaps enough to use in other respects, reducing our need.

Voodu Child

rubadub wrote: »

Exactly. Like the lads who will drive 2 miles to a gym, do 4 miles on a treadmill and drive 2miles home again.

And a bloody electric treadmill to boot :mad: Damn spandex wearing cnuts!

AlmightyCushion

the dee wrote: »

We need to invest in clean and renewable energy and we need to do it now. No more laziness and complacency! It will work out much cheaper in the long run, even if it is inconvenient for some.

What we really need to do is reduce the amount of energy we use on pointless things. e.g. stand-by mode on tvs, completely pointless waste of energy and should be gotten rid of. Houses should also be designed to use energy alot better. Better insulation and things like that.

axer

seamus wrote: »

But "waste" would imply that it's destroyed or consumed. And as you point out, it can't be destroyed.

Nope it means "spend thoughtlessly; throw away" or "Use inefficiently or inappropriately;".

Efficent use of energy is the most important thing to get right.

GhostInTheRuins

I'd like to see how much light it emits. Feck all I'd say.

Capt'n Midnight

How do they work out the 200 years ?

are they just working from a derating of the 50,000 hour life of the LED's ?


For a real clock how about this http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,789165,00.html

the needle on one dial, which records the precession (slow conical wobbling) of Earth's axis, will take 26.000 years to complete one revolution.

it's the worlds slowest moving part

the_syco

Gravity Lamp - 200 Years with no recharge or power cords.

To me, having to lift it is recharging it.

Terry

200 years @ 8 hours a day.

66 years in reality, which means all you health freaks will have to buy a new one.

There's not a hope in hell of me living to the grand old age of 98.

Tar.Aldarion

why would you have it on ALL the time?
Sounds pretty cool.

Earthhorse

How do you turn it off?

Earthhorse

Goddamnit Tar, don't do that!

Tar.Aldarion

snap!


I imagine you lower the weight.

Earthhorse

I dunno, sounds like an awful lot of work just to save the planet. Next!

MooseJam

I'd buy one if it costs less than a tenner

Terry

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

why would you have it on ALL the time?
Sounds pretty cool.

I sit in my sitting room all day with the curtains closed.
It's bad for your eyes to watch tv or look at a monitor with no lights on.

Earthhorse

Open the curtains.

the dee

the dee wrote: »

Dear god! Are people really too lazy to lift a weight up once a day? It'd be good exercise at least.

Just attach a rope and a ratchet system to the fridge door, it'll always be raised!!

MooseJam

fatties ftw

Terry

Earthhorse wrote: »

Open the curtains.

I'm not fond of natural light.

ec18

Aren't clocks supposed to work 24 hours a day...not 8.....so it really only lasts 66 years

Terry

ec18 wrote: »

Aren't clocks supposed to work 24 hours a day...not 8.....so it really only lasts 66 years

Yeah, but it's not a clock.

slipss

Coming up with all these new energy saving devices are a complete waste of time. Don't these university students read the news? Steorn have the whole energy problem wrapped up.

slipss

slipss wrote: »

Steorn have the whole energy problem wrapped up.

In bubblewrap, and stored in the warehouse with all the other perpetual motion devices!

User45701

Terry wrote: »

200 years @ 8 hours a day.

66 years in reality, which means all you health freaks will have to buy a new one.

There's not a hope in hell of me living to the grand old age of 98.

You never know terry what with all the new medical tech that will be devised in the next few decades, and who knows they might be able to place your brain in the boards server! You could mod every single fourm/post in real time with 100% success rate. and you would have 1st post in ever new fourm!

Capt'n Midnight

If it only gives light for 8 hours then use this, no weights or moving parts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphor

Calcium sulfide with strontium sulfide with bismuth as activator, (Ca,Sr)S:Bi, yields blue light with glow times up to 12 hours