Designer Samuel Li of Albany, New York, seems to believe in stacking functions – literally.
His stacked Leaf lantern system is one part energy efficient lighting for the home, one part flashlight/torch, one part cell phone charger, and 100% solar powered.
This egg-like lamp concept unfolds in segments around its central axis to expose its internal solar panels to the sun, striking sculptural pose beneath a sunny window.
When night falls, you can simply realign those segments and enjoy the warm glow of your very own futuristic solar lamp – or, if your cell phone needs recharging, separate those segments and place your phone on a solar panel over night, where the wonders of wireless induction will magically re-juice your phone.
Alternately, if you need to venture out into the wilds of your backyard after dark – or even tiptoe upstairs without turning lights on – you can detach one of the Leaf’s segments for use as a mobile light source, either in the focused flashlight mode or ambient candle mode.
Versatile, futuristic, and vaguely reminiscent of R2D2, the Leaf strikes us as an ideal addition to any tech forward household with an emphasis on design – though we have the feeling it might not play that well with small children, especially if individual segments are easy to remove.
