Good news for lovers of things that look like books but are not books: the Lumio LED lamp we wrote about in January has bulldozed through its US$60,000 Kickstarter target, nosing ahead of $450,000 with 7 days of the campaign remaining.
Writing on the Kickstarter page, designer Max Gunawan reveals that the concept originated not as a lamp, but as a modular home. Gunawan's folding design would allow the home to be transported in a small car. Lacking the funds to build working prototypes, he decided to scale down the idea.
It seems that most of the details we reported first time round still stand, though Gunawan states the design demonstrates "commitment to sustainability," chiefly by using FSC-certified wood for the cover. The key points that bear repeating are the use of waterproof recyclable Tyvek for the body, and the inclusion of Neodymium magnets in the cover for fixing the Lumio to magnetic surfaces.
We now know that the Lumio will measure 8.5 by 7 inches, being 1.25 inches thick (21.6 x 17.8 x 3.2 cm), and that the high-output LEDs have a warm white appearance (2,700 K).
Thanks to the campaign's success, Gunawan is able to pursue the stretch goals of a bundled USB charger and a leather strap for suspending the Lumio.
There's still plenty of time to snap one up if a Lumio takes your fancy: a pledge of $95 will do the trick. Commendably, Gunawan has taken the step of releasing Lumios in batches. The first, shipping in July, have all been snapped up, but there are plenty left of the second and third batches, which should be sent out in September and November.
The Kickstarter campaign video is below.
Source: Kickstarter
