Flipping on a light switch usually doesn't require much in the way of cranial fortitude, but mount three or four of the things in a row and it's Concentration time whenever you try to flick the right one. Japanese graphic designer Mac Funamizu feels your shame, imagining a conceptual wall-mounted touchpad to end the confusion and inadvertent light shows. With his invention you'd simply drag your finger toward the light you want to turn on, do it again to turn it off, or make a circular sweep to illuminate the whole room. It certainly seems a bit more useful than
other switches we've covered in the past, but until we see a version that will register our gestures from the couch we'll stick with our Clappers, thank you very much.
Update: Taku commented to point out a
strangely similar though seemingly completely unrelated prototype from London-based designer Edward Horsford. It offers the same functionality
plus adds ridges.
[Via
Engadget German]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
collegekid13 @ Dec 1st 2008 4:09AM
does this one come with driver issues as well?
Joseph @ Dec 1st 2008 4:18AM
his first name is Mac? Must have been an adopted name (as opposed to birth name) but still so cool. least he's in design and could somewhat stand up to that name.
linuxamp @ Dec 1st 2008 4:25AM
Wow, nice esoteric SB reference in the title. http://www.hrwiki.org/index.php/techno
olly @ Dec 1st 2008 5:43AM
can the creator of this get proper credit ... http://petitinvention.wordpress.com/
just incase any of you can't speak German :-)
This guy come up with some really great stuff, and well worth an RSS subscription.
taku @ Dec 1st 2008 6:01AM
Someone else has proposed the same concept ealier this year with a WORKING PROTOTYPE, fyi.
http://edwardhorsford.com/portfolio/radiance/radiance.htm
Luigi193 @ Dec 1st 2008 7:03AM
The Cheat is grounded!
We had that lightswitch installed for you so you could turn the lights on and off, not so you could throw lightswitch raves!
Dave D @ Dec 1st 2008 8:59AM
Ruffles have ridges...
Jon Doe. @ Dec 1st 2008 9:41AM
Waits for the first Mactard to claim this is a rip off off oh wait.....
DaveHimself @ Dec 1st 2008 11:03AM
http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail45.html
gad get @ Dec 1st 2008 2:43PM
Ugh... clappers.
SexAndCyanide @ Dec 1st 2008 8:13PM
Ridges... For pleasure?