Levitating gadgets: soaring lamps, columns and plants

As well as "flying" gadgets, such as, say, kopter, levitating devices are also created mostly for entertainment. The flight path is not “foreseen,” and such devices hover strictly in one place, slightly rising above any surface. And so, as the “magic function” for them is not the main one, then it is most often added to more understandable characteristics: this is how flying lamps, speakers, plants, etc. appeared.



We offer a small selection of such devices:

Levitating globe
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One of the first devices we met was a business souvenir in the form of a globe. A miniature ball hovered between the two edges of a small beam, which in turn was connected to the network.



Shine

Magic is best demonstrated on such things that in the classical sense can not be improved. It is clear that the lamp must be screwed into the cartridge, and the whole structure must be electrically operated, therefore the levitating light sources that are not connected in any way with “wires” should impress.

Levitron - $ 649 at Amazon

The night lamp, the lampshade of which is divided into two parts, one of which hangs in the air at the same time as the structure is connected to the network. Magic is created in stages: first, a small detail is “hung” above the base, on which the rest of the lampshade clings on top. At this moment the night light comes on:



A similar, but slightly more expensive device sold under the name Eclipse . In total, the range includes several devices with different types of lampshades, and individual modules.



Separate modules designed to hoist various objects on them are also not a problem today. These can be found on Amazon , and on Aliexpress something like “ levitating bars ” is offered to attention, however, for one bottle. The construction, towering in height, includes two magnets, between which a bottle is inserted:



Returning to the lamps ... It is impossible not to mention the rather loud project with Kickstarter Luna - a desk lamp - where the glowing disk hovered a short distance from the “head”:



Another project with Kickstarter - Flyte - is also associated with the soaring light, however, unlike the previous one, it does not “hang”, but “stands”. The lamp on the stand was introduced last year, and its price started at $ 149.



And here it is shown how you can do something similar with your own hands.

Sound

Making a floating column was also not so difficult, and many have succeeded. We will show only some:

MOXO - $ 129



Extremely similar to him, but for some reason known under a different name, Fineway .



Music Angel is also a “toy” with Amazon round shape and similar to the previous characteristics:



ASWY - speaker with CES, non-circular shape.



By the way, we did a review of this column in our blog on Geektimes.

But the most amusing on the general background seems LittleBigSound - a whole collection of miniature-shaped robotic columns, which, among other things, also have a backlight:



All speakers of this type have rather similar design features: this is the obligatory presence of a base connected to a network, over which the sound emitters are hovering over a short distance. In some cases, we have a normal speaker, in some, as in the same ASWY - the possibility of feedback, however, loud.

Plants

The loudest project turned out to be Bonsai, about which many wrote, including here .



Customers were offered several design options to choose from, and the design itself, as in other devices, consisted of two main parts: a powerful magnetic base and a moss ball, also equipped with a magnet, which gave the effect of levitation. The main problem of the project is the delivery of such a “gadget” outside of Japan, which is planned to be implemented through regional partners.

True, this is not the first sentence of this kind. Another campaign with levitating plants was less noticeable, although shipments for it should start as early as March, that is, almost the other day. Little green planet allows you to grow several more understandable and familiar plant species, even cacti:



And here is the prototype of a construction with a base that was not completed:



Concept bed

The idea of ​​levitating devices for life, hobbies, and entertainment concerns designers, and already “drawn” ideas for the past ten years appear on the pages of various publications as prototypes. One of the long-awaited devices could be called a levitating bed, which was actively talked about 7 years ago. It was presented by the KooTouch design studio, but so far there is no reason to believe in its mass production.