In the Details: Building a Bluetooth-Controlled LED Lantern for Everyday Use
Posted in: In the Details
In a world where almost everything can be controlled with the click of a button (or a clap of your hands), even the kerosene lantern is getting an upgrade with Vela, a portable, Bluetooth-enabled lamp that can be controlled using your smartphone.
Following a family camping trip, Joe VanFaasen, a designer at the Holland, Michigan-based firm Twisthink, found himself unsatisfied with the lantern options currently on the market. “What I found were the classic Coleman kerosene lanterns, which I admire, but they present a fire and gas hazard, especially with two little boys and a little girl running around,” VanFaasen says. Although LED versions proved more convenient and safer, VanFaasen felt that they lacked the appropriate aesthetic and often gave off a cold, bluish light. “They all felt like either overly commoditized knock-offs or hyper-tactical backcountry-type lights,” he says.
Recognizing a need and looking to fill a gap in the market, VanFaasen set about designing the perfect portable light for any scenario not only camping but everyday household use as well. And he wondered how he could incorporate “smart” technology to set it apart from other portable LEDs currently available.
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