Skip to main content

This lamp runs 8 hours on just a glass of seawater


Rural areas in the Philippines with no access to electricity depend on candles, kerosene lamps or battery operated lanterns as common household light sources. But aside from being costly and inefficient, they are also dangerous to use. Now, thanks to Engr. Aisa Mijeno, a lamp that is totally safe, environmentally-friendly, and capable of emitting light on just a glass of salt water will soon brighten up these communities.

   Aisa was inspired to design the SALt lamp (SALt is a contraction of Sustainable Alternative Living) after living with the natives of Kalinga's Butbut tribe for days relying only on kerosene lamps and moonlight to do evening chores.

   So how does it work? As simple as it sounds, the lamp uses a solution of one glass of water mixed with two tablespoons of salt to provide 8 hours of light. It will even run off seawater. Oh, and did I mention that you can also charge your smartphone or tablet from the lamp?

   The device uses the same science that forms the basis of battery-making. In a typical battery, two metal electrodes are dipped into an electrolyte solution. In this case, the electrolyte is salt water. The electrode in the SALt lamp can last up to a year, depending on how often and long it is used.

   Currently in the development stage, the people behind the product aim to have the lamps mass produced later in the year. However, their main priority right now is to deliver the SALt lamps to their target communities.

[h/t: Inhabitat]

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Dolce Paganne

I can't even begin to think about how Dolce Paganne comes up with any of the shit she creates. I do know I'm hooked and can't stop looking at her drawings. Taking influence from Asian horror comic books, occult history and ancient mythology, the Antwerp-based artist makes her own "sinister" universe which expands with each new piece.  Also known as Ceren Aksungur, Dolce has a vast catalog of different media to view on her website and Instagram, so if you like what you see below, check out the rest of it here and here .

This Filipina artist draws with thread

I love it when I procrastinate online and discover someone's work that really catches my attention. Filipina artist Eugenia Alcaide captures her subjects by sewing their impressions on silkscreens. Though created with black cotton thread, the lines look like intricate sketches of graphite with 3D feel. They're captivating, and I wish there was a video to go with these to see how she plots each piece from start to finish.  Ginny began using thread in 2006 while doing her thesis for her degree in Fine Arts, major in Painting, at the University of the Philippines. One of Artinformal's most revered artists, her first exhibit in the gallery was in 2012, and since then she has gone on to display her work in various local and international art fairs. Her unique ability to create three-dimensional portraits by stretching and draping threads to form sculptural drawings has earned her much acclaim. You can check out more of Ginny's work here .

Eric van Straaten's 3D-Printed Statuettes

I can't remember when I first became entranced with Eric van Straaten 's 3D-printed sculptures. I think I stumbled onto his work through tumblr when I was searching for new artists to follow. Eric's attention to detail is pretty amazing, and the image of the eroticized child-woman is familiar throughout his work. Most of his hyper surreal pieces are 3D-printed in sandstone material, which are created by laying down a thin layer of gypsum powder and using a binding agent and color inks to print a pattern onto it. Once the entire model is printed, it is withdrawn from the print bed and the excess powder is removed. The model is then sealed and ready for display. "I think that the girls I create in my work are visualizations of my own feelings, fantasies and thoughts," the Dutch artist explains. "The girls actually look like someone I (used to) know and the different ‘portraits’ tell something about what I think of myself in regards to her or women ...