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The Prix Ars Electronica Archive is a collection enabling search and viewing of all the submissions since 1987. The award-winning projects are documented with catalogue texts and audio-visual media. All other submissions can be searched by title/artist and displayed with year, category in list form. Please cite the credits (artwork name, artist and photographer) and only use the materials if your article is related to Ars Electronica.
GravityLight
Martin Riddiford,
Jim Reeves
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_GravityLight_ is a revolutionary and sustainable approach to generating power and light. It eliminate the need for kerosene lamps, offering huge health, economic and environmental benefits.
It takes around three seconds to lift the weight that charges _GravityLight_, which will provide up to 30 minutes of constant light as the weight drops under the force of gravity. The weight is a bag (which doubles as the product packaging) that the user fills with 9 to 12.5kg of material (earth, rocks or sand). This connects to _GravityLight_ via a plastic strap that passes through the generating mechanism. A series of gears and a generator inside translates this slow falling mass into electrical energy. The system can be varied to provide either task or ambient lighting, or both simultaneously at a lower level. It has terminals on the front to allow it to be used purely as a generator to top up batteries, or to power various low-voltage devices, such as FM radios.
_GravityLight_ has no batteries to run out, replace or dispose of and has no reliance on the external environment, time of day, season or weather. As there are no running costs after the initial low-cost purchase, _GravityLight_ has the potential to help lift people who would otherwise spend a large proportion of their income on kerosene for lighting out of poverty.
Links: http://deciwatt.org/
It takes around three seconds to lift the weight that charges _GravityLight_, which will provide up to 30 minutes of constant light as the weight drops under the force of gravity. The weight is a bag (which doubles as the product packaging) that the user fills with 9 to 12.5kg of material (earth, rocks or sand). This connects to _GravityLight_ via a plastic strap that passes through the generating mechanism. A series of gears and a generator inside translates this slow falling mass into electrical energy. The system can be varied to provide either task or ambient lighting, or both simultaneously at a lower level. It has terminals on the front to allow it to be used purely as a generator to top up batteries, or to power various low-voltage devices, such as FM radios.
_GravityLight_ has no batteries to run out, replace or dispose of and has no reliance on the external environment, time of day, season or weather. As there are no running costs after the initial low-cost purchase, _GravityLight_ has the potential to help lift people who would otherwise spend a large proportion of their income on kerosene for lighting out of poverty.
Links: http://deciwatt.org/
Martin Riddiford (UK) is a co-founder of London-based product-design firm _therefore_ and also trained at Central School of Art and Design. He has been working in product design consultancy for 35 years. Martin’s inventive approach to design and his immersion in new technology has contributed to the successful launch of important new-technology-based innovations on the consumer market, from Psion’s original PDA to TomTom’s satnav range.
Jim Reeves (UK) has been working in product design consultancy for nine years. He is a design engineer and Associate Director at Therefore. He has undertaken in-depth engineering development on longstanding R&D projects at _therefore_, as well as extensive user-focused research. One of Jim’s recent projects was _bednest_—a crib that facilitates safe co-sleeping.
Jim Reeves (UK) has been working in product design consultancy for nine years. He is a design engineer and Associate Director at Therefore. He has undertaken in-depth engineering development on longstanding R&D projects at _therefore_, as well as extensive user-focused research. One of Jim’s recent projects was _bednest_—a crib that facilitates safe co-sleeping.