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This floating cloud lamp is a mini thunderstorm for your coffee table

This floating cloud lamp is a mini thunderstorm for your coffee table
The general lamp setting offers a cloud illuminated as if shot by a bolt of lightning
The general lamp setting offers a cloud illuminated as if shot by a bolt of lightning
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The general lamp setting offers a cloud illuminated as if shot by a bolt of lightning
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The general lamp setting offers a cloud illuminated as if shot by a bolt of lightning
Another LED mode offers this ominously backlit setting
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Another LED mode offers this ominously backlit setting
A color setting can be manually trigger or set to respond to music in the room
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A color setting can be manually trigger or set to respond to music in the room
The cable can be removed from the base allowing the entire unit to operate on battery power
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The cable can be removed from the base allowing the entire unit to operate on battery power
A look at the Floating Cloud
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A look at the Floating Cloud
One of these goes for a tidy $4,620
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One of these goes for a tidy $4,620
A look at the Floating Cloud
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A look at the Floating Cloud 
The cloud floats an impressive 2.75 inches over the base
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The cloud floats an impressive 2.75 inches over the base
Cat not included
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Cat not included
Removing the speaker from this iteration dramatically improved battery life
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Removing the speaker from this iteration dramatically improved battery life
Only 100 units are set to be produced
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Only 100 units are set to be produced
The cloud can be controlled via a supplied remote control
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The cloud can be controlled via a supplied remote control
The battery in the cloud is rechargeable
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The battery in the cloud is rechargeable
The cloud is made of polyester fiber
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The cloud is made of polyester fiber
It contains a hidden 6000 mAh Lithium Ion battery
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It contains a hidden 6000 mAh Lithium Ion battery
This is the latest iteration of Clarkson's cloud project
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This is the latest iteration of Clarkson's cloud project
Want one of these sitting on your coffee table? Get in quick
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Want one of these sitting on your coffee table? Get in quick
The original Cloud from 2014
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The original Cloud from 2014
One of the standing cloud lamps
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One of the standing cloud lamps
The original cloud contained movement sensors triggering thunder and lightning
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The original cloud contained movement sensors triggering thunder and lightning
Part of Clarkson's Tiny Cloud range
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Part of Clarkson's Tiny Cloud range
The Tiny Clouds contain RGB LED lights
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The Tiny Clouds contain RGB LED lights
The RGB Cloud range comes in multiple sizes
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The RGB Cloud range comes in multiple sizes
Allowing for different unique cloud formations to be created
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Allowing for different unique cloud formations to be created
A small desk lamp Cloud
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A small desk lamp Cloud
This is the first levitating cloud attempt
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This is the first levitating cloud attempt
A close-up on the flicker lightning effect
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A close-up on the flicker lightning effect
A novel use for the cloud lighting
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A novel use for the cloud lighting
A lamp from the Tiny Cloud range
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A lamp from the Tiny Cloud range
A formation of RGB Clouds
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A formation of RGB Clouds
The RGB Clouds showing off their different color settings
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The RGB Clouds showing off their different color settings
The original floating cloud was weighed down by the Bluetooth speaker lowering its potential levitation height
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The original floating cloud was weighed down by the Bluetooth speaker lowering its potential levitation height
A fascinating desk light
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A fascinating desk light
One of the in situ event applications for the lights
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One of the in situ event applications for the lights
The speaker was ultimately removed allowing for better battery and levitation height from the floating model
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The speaker was ultimately removed allowing for better battery and levitation height from the floating model
One of the hanging Tiny Cloud models
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One of the hanging Tiny Cloud models
Another standing cloud lamp
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Another standing cloud lamp
An experiment with the Tiny Cloud
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An experiment with the Tiny Cloud
View gallery - 38 images

Brooklyn-based designer Richard Clarkson has been experimenting with artificial cloud designs for several years now. His impressively executed series of artificial clouds range from simple lampshades to more complex interactive installations that mimic the audiovisual aspects of a thundercloud. His latest invention is the Floating Cloud – a magnetically levitating ambient lamp that flickers through different colored LED modes in response to the sound in a room.

Clarkson's first interactive cloud experiment came in 2014 in the form of a large hanging thundercloud. This iteration incorporated a Bluetooth speaker that used motion sensors to trigger thunderous rumbles and flickers of lightning in response to movement in the room while also still functioning as a speaker than can play your favorite songs.

The original Cloud from 2014
The original Cloud from 2014

The big drawback of these earlier cloud designs was the fact they still needed to be tethered to the ceiling via a cord, taking some of the illusion away. Last year Clarkson released his first levitating cloud product, called Making Weather. The floating cloud was similar to the previous hanging design but utilized magnetic levitation technology to wirelessly float above a reflective oval base.

Making Weather still incorporated the Bluetooth speaker into its design but Clarkson recently removed that aspect for his new Floating Cloud piece. The weight of the speaker turned out to significantly decrease the levitation height of the cloud, as well as dramatically reducing battery life. Also, in a display of prevailing common sense, the design team realized that a speaker just wasn't a necessary ingredient in the object.

This is the latest iteration of Clarkson's cloud project
This is the latest iteration of Clarkson's cloud project

The new Floating Cloud lamp can now levitates 2.75 inches (70 mm) off its base and contains an embedded microphone that senses the sound in its environment allowing for it to visually respond to music or voices in four different lighting styles. The cloud itself is made of a hypoallergenic polyester fiber and holds a hidden embedded lithium ion 6600 mAh battery.

A formation of RGB Clouds
A formation of RGB Clouds

These artificial clouds don't come cheap though, with a limited production run of 100, one will set you back US$4,620. These hand-made objects are certainly more in the realm of art pieces than easily available novelty lamps, but if you are keen and have the spare money then you can order one now from Clarkson's website.

Take a look at the Floating Cloud and Clarkson's other fantastic artificial cloud pieces in our gallery.

Source: Richard Clarkson Designs

View gallery - 38 images
3 comments
3 comments
Douglas Bennett Rogers
This would be great for a model rail road.
windykites
Clouds could be suspended from the ceiling on very fine nearly invisible nylon thread, so would be much cheaper to produce.
Michelle Peppin
How much are the tiny levitating interactive thunderstorm