03
TIDE LIGHT
PROTOTYPE CONSTRUCTION
The wooden structure can be realized as it would be in mass production, using the 2D vector data for laser cutting. The frame and cover were 3D printed, painted, and COB LED strips were attached to a back plate to simulate light.
CONCEPT IDEA
In our increasingly digital, fast-paced world, I want to design a lamp that serves as a gentle reminder to pause in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Inspired by the surfing lifestyle, this lamp will act as a kind of natural clock. Through a play of light, it shows the location-based state of the ocean tide. Each look at it is a reminder to reconnect more with nature, the joy of surfing, or is used as a practical tool to plan your next session. The focus group consists of people interested in surfing. Here, any surf stores, surf cafes, and surf schools should be addressed, as well as private customers.
TASK & REQUIRED RESULTS
//Create a lamp with a decorative purpose
//The product should be designed in a reproducible way
//Final result: CAD based rendering & a physical prototype
DESIGN OF A DECORATIVE LAMP
MOODBOARD
The design should be simple and based on nature. For this, the most visible material will be wood. In addition, organic shapes should emulate a kind of wave, which can be very well represented by the arrangement of a pattern.
FINAL SOLUTION
Some wooden discs are arranged to depict a wave, with its lowest points on the left and right edges and the peak in the middle. Behind the wood, a moving light simulates the tide progression, starting from the left (low tide), reaching its peak in the middle (high tide), and then moving towards the right until the lowest point there (low tide). This cycle repeats, but then from right to left. The natural wave pattern enables easy and quick interpretation of the tide. For precise hourly information, a scale on the upper frame corresponds each section to one hour. I created the waveform in Fusion 360 through a parametric surface.
SHAPE ANALYSIS
The challenge was to find a flowing shape that makes it also possible to read the tide level in an easy way. I liked something along the lines of the last sketches best.
Wall mount
Frame (scale)
Cover cap
Laser wood
Electronics
Matrix LED
TECHNICAL SETUP
The technology is positioned behind the wooden discs. By a matrix LED, each light element can be controlled individually.
A wifi capable microcontroller can access the current time, location, and date. With available databases, the state of tide can be put out. The frame, as well as the cover cap are made of anodized aluminum.
