Gravity Lamp Grabs Green Prize 596
eldavojohn writes "A lamp powered by gravity has won the second prize at the Greener Gadgets Conference in NYC. From the article, "The light output will be 600-800 lumens — roughly equal to a 40-watt incandescent bulb over a period of four hours. To "turn on" the lamp, the user moves weights from the bottom to the top of the lamp. An hour glass-like mechanism is turned over and the weights are placed in the mass sled near the top of the lamp. The sled begins its gentle glide back down and, within a few seconds, the LEDs come on and light the lamp ... Moulton estimates that Gravia's mechanisms will last more than 200 years, if used eight hours a day, 365 days a year." The article contains links to the patents and the designer/inventor Clay Moulton's site." I think my laptop would require a slightly larger weight to pull this off.
Looks cool... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Looks cool... (Score:5, Funny)
This is slashdot, we have articles here, not thinly disguised advertisements.
Next thing you know... (Score:4, Funny)
What's next for gravity power? (Score:5, Funny)
bwahaha. (Score:5, Funny)
But who is going to control (Score:5, Funny)
Will it still be cool to light up your lamp with gravity, when there's no gravity left and people are spinning right off the planet into outerspace? I guess it will eliminate the greenhouse gas issue by allowing the atmosphere to disappear when there's no more gravity left - but unfortunately it will also not allow people to live (the ones that are still on the planet after the other ones spun off into space as noted earlier)
Peak Gravity (Score:5, Funny)
Re:A patent? (Score:5, Funny)
One tells time, the other emits light. I thought that was fairly obvious.
Re:A patent? (Score:5, Funny)
I total misread that (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Next thing you know... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:A patent? (Score:3, Funny)
Way ahead of you buddy (Score:5, Funny)
green? I don't think that word means what you... (Score:2, Funny)
So this idea may be useful in 3rd world countries where power grids are not available, but anyone with access to hydroelectric, wind, solar, coal, or nuclear power will actually be doing less damage to the planet by plugging the same light bulb into a wall receptacle.
End rant.
Re:Looks cool... (Score:5, Funny)
I can't really see why a small electric motor couldn't be incorporated into the design to do this, surely it would be much more convenient?
Re:gravity powered? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Next step ... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Looks cool... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:But who is going to control (Score:3, Funny)
Re:bwahaha. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Looks cool... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:gravity powered? (Score:2, Funny)
Quality light is not like making coffee (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Greener? Are we sure? (Score:2, Funny)
Now all we have to do is make the weights out of hypercompressed CO2 and it's a total win.
Total Gym. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Looks cool... (Score:4, Funny)
That way, you could still run the light in a power failure by running the small ICE.
Hey, you could make the engine a little bigger and add some outlets so you could power other lamps.
(The outside of my tooth is delicious.)
Alas (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Looks cool... (Score:2, Funny)
* calls patent troll lawyer
Re:It can't possibly work either (Score:2, Funny)
Factor of 2 accounted or, only 500 to go...
In the town of Bedrock... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Peak Gravity (Score:5, Funny)
One guarantee: it's all downhill from there.
Re:Looks cool... (Score:4, Funny)
Think of it in terms of your health/fitness and gym membership fees you save.
6 watts times 1 billion lights (Score:1, Funny)
We may be safe.
Re:Total Gym. (Score:3, Funny)
Layne
Re:In the town of Bedrock... (Score:3, Funny)
You think that people will be motivated by the desire to read? Make a TV powered by this concept, however...
Re:Looks cool... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I total misread that (Score:3, Funny)
When I was a little kid I built a gravity go cart (Score:5, Funny)
I guess I was ahead of my time.
All I remember was.. the brakes didn't work, and I felt pain for 2 weeks.
Re:Alas (Score:2, Funny)
Re:It can't possibly work either (Score:2, Funny)
Re:It can't possibly work either (Score:5, Funny)
Re:These numbers look worng (Score:3, Funny)
Re:In the town of Bedrock... (Score:5, Funny)
Wet noodle? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Looks cool... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:When I was a little kid I built a gravity go ca (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Looks cool... (Score:4, Funny)
Exactly! (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Way ahead of you buddy (Score:1, Funny)
Re:He might not, but here's my work (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Exactly! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Looks cool... (Score:4, Funny)
Give me your lunch money.
Re:It can't possibly work either (Score:2, Funny)
Re:It can't possibly work either (Score:3, Funny)
Re:It can't possibly work either (Score:1, Funny)
My guess is you didn't even get the Physics 101.
Re:Looks cool... (Score:3, Funny)