Screwing lights into a socket is so 2015. In the future, all the cool kids will deck out their space apartments with LED bulbs that float in midair. That might sound a little far-fetched at first, but once you take a look at Flyte it suddenly doesn’t seem so unbelievable.
Recently launched on Kickstarter, Flyte is a wirelessly powered light that hovers in the air by way of magnetic levitation. It is also completely contactless and draws power wirelessly from the charger block it hovers above.
Here’s how it works. Tucked inside the snazzy wooden base, you’ll find two things: an array of electromagnets and a magnetic induction charger. When you lower the bulb onto the block, the the outermost electromagnets serve to attract the bulb’s base, while inner (and slightly stronger) magnets create a repelling force. This holds the bulb in place and causes it to hover a few centimeters above the block.
Once it’s within range, a receiver at the bulb’s base is able to pick up power from the charger block via magnetic induction, which supplies it with enough power to illuminate an array of LEDs. The wireless power module is capable of transmitting about 5V, and can also be used to charge up your smartphone or tablet when the bulb isn’t in use.
Right now the device only exists in prototype form, but if Flyte’s creators can hit their $80K funding goal on Kickstarter, they’ll be able to bring the product to production. The good news is that they’re well on their way to achieving that goal and have already raised over $40K in the first 12 hours. Back the project now, and you can lock down a Flyte light for about 230 bucks. If all goes well, the team expects to begin shipping to backers as early as October.
