Crealev builds a levitating lamp

We haven't heard of Dutch design outfit Crealev before, but the company says it's developed a "new levitation concept which is able to produce a very high levitation height combined with a low power dissipation and excellent stability" -- and apparently the best way to show that off is this series of levitating lamps. Unveiled at last week's Dutch Design Week event, the lamps are the product of designer Angela Jansen. We're assuming they're magnetic in some way, but Crealev's website is pretty cagey with the details, only saying that it's a "proprietary technology." Either way, we want one.

Read -- Crealev website
Read -- Video of the lamps in action

[smemolo @ Oct 31st 2007 4:14PM]

That's awesome.

[Paul @ Oct 31st 2007 5:09PM]

And the best feature, you can lay any hdd or other magnetic electronics on the surface and it's instantly erased!

[enzo @ Oct 31st 2007 6:06PM]

...I love lamp

[MikeG @ Oct 31st 2007 6:46PM]

lol@ enzo.

[mushrooshi @ Oct 31st 2007 7:54PM]

MYTH! Magnets do NOT erase HDDs.

[Paul @ Oct 31st 2007 11:35PM]

@Mushroom.... really, thats news to me, Maybe your average fridge magnet will be fine, but try waving a large power inducing electromagnet somewhere close to your hard drive and lets see how well it works afterwards.

[IndiaTech @ Nov 1st 2007 3:39AM]

Forget about the HDD, I am worried about my mom - in - law's pacemaker....
On a second thought... where can I get one?

[rzlmlchm009 @ Oct 31st 2007 4:20PM]

Hoverboards, here we come!! :)

[getz76 @ Oct 31st 2007 4:21PM]

Changing the batteries for the lamp must suck.

[Z @ Oct 31st 2007 4:23PM]

That's true! I hadn't thought about that.

[Helmore @ Oct 31st 2007 4:26PM]

Who says that the lamp is installed in the levitating part....

[clads01 @ Oct 31st 2007 4:27PM]

If you look at the pix in the link closely, it looks like the base is actually the light source. The hovering "light shade" probably involves some clever reflection/transmission to make it appear that the light is coming it.

But agreed, if the light was actually coming from the hovering part, it would def have to be battery powered ...

[clads01 @ Oct 31st 2007 4:32PM]

"coming *from* it" that is

[Z @ Oct 31st 2007 4:33PM]

I was just looking at the photos and video links at bit closer - I didn't scroll down far enough but it seems that the base is lit underneath, so it must be just reflecting somehow off of the hovering element. That would make more sense. The photo above (where the entire lamp shade is lit) threw me off initially.

[splat-da-da-ding-dong-patatata-brrrring! @ Oct 31st 2007 4:34PM]

you could also use induction to transfer energy between the bottom and the levitating part.

[Z @ Oct 31st 2007 4:21PM]

That's really cool, but it's not what I'd call a "very high levitation height". I mean, it's only hovering a few inches above the platform. If it were a foot or more, that would be entirely different.

Still, cool concept. Who else has offers a hovering lamp?

I wonder what the light output is - how practical it is?

[Yagmur @ Oct 31st 2007 4:24PM]

So now magnetism is "proprietary technology" or they have built a working anti-gravity device and used it in a extremely dumb way.

[patsy @ Oct 31st 2007 4:31PM]

Magnetism may not be new, but reliable dynamic control of EM fields to keep an object hovering in the same position at a stable height certainly is. That's a big part of the Transrapid maglev patents as well, precise control over the fields at high speed while minimizing flutter and such.

[rob72 @ Oct 31st 2007 4:30PM]

I suspect the light is actually in the base and shining up, and the only thing levitating is the lamp cover.

levitating the actual lamp would require adding a battery, which is rather heavy, or adding wireless power....

[Twitchy @ Oct 31st 2007 4:36PM]

I'm not too fond of the pedestal, but that is one nice concept. I hope it doesn't stay as a concept too long.

[Bobby @ Oct 31st 2007 4:37PM]

Notice first name of the designer - that explains technology used

[JDizzle @ Oct 31st 2007 4:37PM]

Wingardium Leviosa!

[Meltz; @ Oct 31st 2007 11:18PM]

Hawwww yeah

[IndiaTech @ Nov 1st 2007 3:46AM]

Leviosaah not Leviooosaa... Sheesh...

[bearclaws @ Oct 31st 2007 4:42PM]

Perhaps a very intense and focused EMF bombarding the lamp shade from below. The gases contained in the bulb within the lampshade would then fluoresce. And it would give your brain an instant tumor when sitting within 50 feet of it.

[Tommy @ Oct 31st 2007 4:43PM]

BTW, if the light is in the shade, you don't need a battery by any means. Short range induction and other wireless power technologies could easily power a light bulb.

[horseblind @ Oct 31st 2007 4:51PM]

What I really want is their levitating buddha.

[superfresh @ Oct 31st 2007 4:57PM]

I have such a sweet lamp, but none of my credit cards work and my fillings hurt.

[piestuff @ Oct 31st 2007 4:57PM]

Took the future long enough, I was waiting for this on January 1st 2001 at 12:01 am.

[superfresh @ Oct 31st 2007 5:00PM]

also, do I get a hula hoop to pass the shade through?

[Jack Merritt @ Oct 31st 2007 5:05PM]

Mad as!!

[ark_v2 @ Oct 31st 2007 5:28PM]

I made a levitating lamp for a school project last semester, but how is the energy supposed to be transfered to the bulb? that's pretty insane XD

[Arvid @ Oct 31st 2007 5:33PM]

wicked!
I really hope engadget'll tell us when this thing hits the market!

[Matthew Hilario @ Oct 31st 2007 6:21PM]

now make me a coffee table that will levitate my remote so i will know where it is now.

[Harkonian @ Oct 31st 2007 6:21PM]

If you go to their website and look at the "Future Product Designs" large example they have a drawing of a chair (with no legs) levitating about 2 feet above the base. Now _that_ would be cool.

[NightBlade @ Oct 31st 2007 6:35PM]

This.. is a flying lamp..
What next? Little flying halo thingies on hats?

[max @ Oct 31st 2007 6:35PM]

its just a

[David @ Oct 31st 2007 6:39PM]

Most likely the heat from the bulb in the base is heating the air causing the shade to float like a hot air balloon...the end

[maxschouten @ Oct 31st 2007 6:42PM]

its an mirror that contains magnets.
It hovers above the base.
see for a video in action + guy placing the "mirror" in the magnetic field

http://www.youtube.com/maxschoot

[maximum14000 @ Oct 31st 2007 6:43PM]

this is cool and all but shouldnt we use this technology for something oh i dont know...more useful? i mean come on its a lamp! how about a car, boat, or some sort of transportation

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 31st 2007 7:01PM]

Leviton or levitoff?

[Sirocco @ Oct 31st 2007 7:09PM]

Could the shade simply be attached to the wall behind it, so it's not magic at all?

[Lemmiwinks @ Oct 31st 2007 7:46PM]

My cats would *so* pwn that thing.

[Dean @ Oct 31st 2007 8:11PM]

To those of you saying that hovering a lamp would require a battery:

You're wrong.

http://bea.st/sight/lightbulb/

It's madly not practical, but it could be done. If these guys figured it out so far as to have that much power transfer in that manner, hats off to them.

[Nickolai Bogdatov @ Oct 31st 2007 9:52PM]

So, when you turn electricity off, this shade will fall down ? And when you turn it on, shade will float up ? Come on ....

I guess there is thin wire which you cannot see, so it seems that shade is levitating :)

[Matt H. @ Oct 31st 2007 10:14PM]

I 2nd that...

Even if it is levitating get ready to buy the Chinockoff™ version for 1/20th the cost, complete with thin fishing line for Magic-netic™ levitation.

[McFly @ Oct 31st 2007 11:27PM]

it wont be so 'cool' to leave your car keys or spare change on the pedistal, if you do, make sure you swtich the lamp off for at least half an hour before attempting to pick them up again.

[skhawaja @ Nov 1st 2007 12:59AM]

sweet tech - everything else so far related to floating has the object with a arm above and below - this looks like it only uses the base.

can we get this into warehouses please?

make the complete floor with this - floating pallets would make things so much easier.

[Robots, Take Over, Please @ Nov 1st 2007 2:40AM]

They should build a skate park and have the floor covered with the pedestals. Then they can put some of the disks onto the bottom of boards, and voila, hoverboarding!

[ruby @ Nov 1st 2007 10:49AM]

I wonder how well the specs scale up, especially the power required.
Their site says ~500g for .5-8 watts.
Picking 10 watts/kilo, that would lift me (~75 kilo) for less power than running my microwave!