Concepts We Want Made: Yuko Taguchi's Wind-Up Lamp
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09.25.07
For people who like to do a little reading in bed (and might fall asleep with the light on from time to time) comes this cool concept from designer Yuko Taguchi. The "Wind-Up Lamp" is just that: crank the key around to generate power for the lamp and start the timer; when the power is used up and the timer goes off, so does the lamp, leaving you to a peaceful (energy-efficient!) slumber.
Hit the jump for the designers' statement and another pic of the lamp in action. This concept really should get made. ::Yuko Taguchi via ::Red Ferret
"This is for people who can’t sleep without the light. Also, people who read in the bed sometimes forget to turn off the light. The key functions as a switch and a timer. Wind-up to turn the light on before you go to bed. The light will stay on until the key winds back. You will come to know how many times you need to wind-up. Its main source of power comes from its powerful spring-driven generator. As the high carbon tensile steel spring unwinds, power is transferred to a small dynamo electric generator which produces enough electricity to power of the light."
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Sold in US markets??? How much???
This is a great idea. If I saw it in a store, I would absolutely buy it. Would be perfect for my daughter who prefers to have some light as she's falling asleep.
I'm afraid this lamp probably could not work as it is depicted. Even a dim reading lamp would need 15 watts with a compact fluorescent bulb. A normal, reasonably fit person can generate 200 watts for about 2 minutes in a flat out sprint on a bicycle generator. I would be surprised if an ordinary person could generate more than 15 watts twisting that key, and your arm would be burning in thirty seconds. Even if we don't consider mechanical energy losses, you'd get 30 seconds of light from 30 seconds of hard cranking. I also doubt that a steel spring could hold much more than 30 seconds of power. Even if my numbers are a little off, you could not expect to get much more than X minutes of light from X minutes of cranking. Sorry to be a party pooper. It could work with an led flashlight...
In response to the above comment, they already have hand powered LED flashlights. They're great! I'm not exactly sure how the energy is stored (I was just using one borrowed from a friend) but you hardly ever have to crank them, and the light is far brighter than what is given off by a normal flashlight. Next time I need to buy a flashlight, that's what I'll get.
Also: In the article it says "Its main source of power comes from its powerful spring-driven generator." Note the word main. Does that mean it has to be plugged in?
Actually, many small (and dim) LED spot-type reading lamps that I have seen in local stores here (Switzerland) are 1 watt. So if someone can produce 20 watts turning the key, and assuming 50% efficiency, then they might get 10 minutes of lighting for 1 minute of cranking.
Still, for the amount of energy expended, it hardly seems worthwhile. Would be easier just to have a regular AC-powered LED light with a built in timer.
I think it would work if it was a spotlight LED light that clamped to the headboard with a separate windup piece connected with a wire.
Daniel,
There could be a 2 watt power LED in the lamp. A little cranking should be sufficient for half an hour of light.
BTW, one can generate 150W on a bicycle generator for 1-2 hr with much ease. You need to pedal at a moderate 12mph to get 150W from this generator.
so they are not on the market yet. That figures. Even if this thing does function like it says it does, no doubt someone will throw a monkey wrench into the works. Just think how much electricity could be saved! A person could have one in their bedroom, one in the bathroom for late night visits, and maybe 2 in the living room to watch that last hour of television. And if it runs out, pick it up and twist it again, for another 30 minutes, hour, what ever. And how handy if the power cuts off during a thunderstorm or something ( or for those folks who have trouble paying bills, and come home to no power). I remember seeing a flash light that runs by shaking it every so often.
Where can I buy one?
If this idea works, the next project should be
a spring powered Floor Fan. it would come in
handy during a power outage. Or a smaller fan
to put by your bed to keep you cool when a/c
is not functioning. This fan should run for atleast
one hour before winding the main spring .
Can this be done ?