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lighting designers is that they are compli- cated whereas amongst the hacker commu- nity they are considered an exciting tool. That is where Make Some Lights comes in. The inaugural innovative light project to be tackled at a Make Some Lights workshop, held at the Making Room at Mike Stoane Lighting in Edinburgh, was an LED torch driven by a small voltage boosting circuit called a ‘joule thief’ which is found in a small mint tin case.
The joule thief boosts a voltage of a 1.5V AA battery so that it can power a 3V LED. It also can use nearly all the energy in a battery. The notion of being able to use an otherwise drained battery is where the name ‘joule thief’ comes from. This project perfectly reflects the philosophy of the ear- ly hacker movement, finding and revelling in a playful solution to a tricky problem. To drive the 3V LED, two batteries could be used but the joule thief elevates this circuit beyond an ordinary solution. Once invented, this schematic was shared within the online community and it has now been developed and improved upon.
The lighting industry can learn many lessons from the hacking community. Informa- tion is tightly controlled within individual companies and a lack of transparency from manufactures causes mistrust not just in the lighting industry but in all fields regarding LEDs.
Make Some Lights hopes a more open approach could make the lighting industry more efficient at a time when margins are being squeezed on all sides. Hackers are inspired to take control of the objects that they use on a daily basis and improve them, taking ownership of the technology and adapting it to make it better. Hackers enjoy exploring details and stretching their capabilities; they are not content to settle for the bare minimum. Making Some Lights affords the opportunity for those interested in lighting to become a light hacker instead of just a lighting designer.
www.lightcollective.net www.mikestoanelighting.com
Above Lighting designers turn hackers for the day at the Make Some Lights event organised by Light Collective at Mike Stoane, aimed at boosting creativity in the lighting industry.
Top Left The team created an LED torch driven by a small voltage boosting circuit called a ‘joule thief’.
Below The instruction sheet from the Make Some Lights event, guiding participants to complete the ‘joule thief’ project.
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