With the introduction of the Aurora Nanoleaf and Lifx Tile, smart lighting changed from a modern convenience to modern art–and today LaMetric takes that evolution one step further with the introduction of the LaMetric Sky, a modular smart light system that can be functional, artistic, and meaningful all at once.
The LaMetric Sky starter pack is made up of four right triangles, each with 32 independent color zones. The light panels mount to the wall using double-sided tape, so there’s no need to drill holes or damage the walls in any way. The panels can be assembled corner to corner, side to side, and half to half to create almost any shape imaginable. The LaMetric Sky includes mounting instructions to help users arrange their lights in any way they want. A few of the shapes the company suggests include a fish, a cat, a diamond, and a crown.
The philosophy behind the assembly and arrangement of the LaMetric Sky is based on the Chinese tangram puzzles, in which the player must form a specific shape using seven distinct pieces. LaMetric also says that its design philosophy means it is possible to decorate large sections of the wall with fewer pieces.
The LaMetric Sky is described as requiring minimal setup. All users have to do is decide on the shape they want to create, mount the lights, and plug the device in. The app handles lighting combinations — and with the Sky’s ability to display more than 16 million colors, there are a lot of potential combinations.
The LaMetric Sky can also display specific patterns like pixelized faces and animated shapes, taking after the LaMetric Time smart clock. The app is said to have more than 25,000 faces to choose from at the start, with the ability for users to create their own. Users can also display the time, date, weather conditions, and even social media follower counts.
The panels can be turned on or off with a double-tap, via smartphone control, or through a smart assistant like Google Home or Amazon Alexa. The LaMetric Sky also pairs with the Time smart clock for automatic lighting adjustments based on the time of day or based on social media notifications.
The pre-order campaign for the first set of LaMetric Sky lights starts today, July 25, and runs until August 25. Compared to similar products on the market, the pricing is rather affordable:
- 4 light surfaces: $172
- 6 light surfaces: $246
- 8 light surfaces: $299
- 16 light surfaces: $576
The lights are slated to ship in winter, but no concrete date has been given.
