Light my Firewinder - A Wind Powered Lantern
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.24.07
As a kid Tom Lawton wanted to see the wind. As a grown-up he wants to design cool stuff (like a 360° digital camera) These visions combine in his Firewinder Mini. It’s a 100% wind-powered outdoor light. Although it doesn’t generate practical task lighting it certainly seems to create an unusual atmospheric ambience. When wind speed approaches 3 mph the long helix shape begins to spin and via a patent pending process the breeze powers 20 LEDs that light up in a rotating spiral fashion. Apparently 5-7 mph is the optimum speed, but it can also cope with speeds up to 40 mph. And it doesn’t matter which direction the wind is blowing either.
Expected to last five years in British winds the Firewinder can be disassembled for recycling when its useful life has passed. We were chuffed to discover that Tom had tagged his first colour option Treehugger green and even devotes a page of the Firewinder site to a list of 21 simple things people can do to ease their environmental burden, suggesting people visit TH for more info. (Awww, shucks).
Originally due for release last year, it now looks like it will offered for sale sometime before Christmas 07 and cost about £85. We hope it does make it to market because our other fav, the Solar Lampion, seems not to have, yet. ::Firewinder, via web stumbling.
Firewinder has now finally been put into production. Available end UK summer from www.firewinder.com.