Floating Magnetic Illuminators

The Mnuca floating lamp is a unique illuminator that is fuses function and style. The lamp features a magnet sensor, hidden beneath the surface of the wood in the base. This senses whether the bulb is close to the base or not and allows an electronic circuit to work out whether the bulb is resting or floating. The electronics then turn the LEDs off or on accordingly.

Magnetic sensing was partly chosen so that everything is just done on a single circuit board, meaning there are no mechanical components such as switches or buttons as these are typically the things that fail due to wear and tear over the years.

To float, the lamp uses the strongest permanent magnets in the world - neodymium magnets. There is one magnet at the top of the bulb, and 6 magnets in the top crossbar of the lamp. When the bulb is lifted close to the top crossbar, the magnets attract each other and support the weight of the bulb. This also means the lamp can float without consuming any power.

In addition, the device remains cool to the touch. The wooden structure of the bulb remains almost at room temperature because of two main factors. Firstly, the bulb uses LEDs and these don't run as hot as traditional bulbs. Secondly, there is an air gap between the LED bulb and the outer wooden casing. This allows cool air to enter the wooden bulb structure from underneath, removing heat from the LEDs as it rises and exits through the top.