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Design

Bring The Storm Inside With This Internet-Enabled Cloud Lamp

This is the Internet of Things on cloud nine.

The Cloud, another word for the seamlessly interconnected computers (often involved with the Internet of Things), has become so ubiquitous that it’s going to be the villain in a Jason Segel movie. It's everywhere and the technological innovation will only continue to loom over culture as if it were a vapor body in a fast-evolving storm. The designer Richard Clarksonhas taken this colloquial term for networked computers literally, creating a sculpture of an actual cloud that relies upon the Cloud to perform. The sculpture is, very appropriately, called The Cloud.

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The Cloud is made of soft hypoallergenic fiberfill, a multi-colored lamp, speakers, and a Bluetooth connection, all controlled by Arduino processors, which are wired to a remote control. When connected to the Cloud, The Cloud lights up in time to music and reacts to powerful sensors, simulating storm-like flashes and noises. As Clarkson demonstrates in the video, even blowing softly on The Cloud gets it rumbling.

On the sculpture’s project page, Clarkson asserts that The Cloud is a part of a fundamental change in his industry. He says, “Advances in physical computing and interaction design hardware over recent years have created a new breed of smart objects, which are gaining more and more traction in the design world.” He has published the source code that controls his creation for free, according to his website. This opens it up for tinkering and improvement from the burgeoning Maker community, further emphasizing the project's innovation.

You can read the full description of The Cloud on Clarkson’s website, or buy it from his store. At the end of a hot, sweaty, New York summer day, we’re certain that having our own personal, interactive smart cloud to lay under would be a sweet release. Even if it wasn’t so cool, we’d probably buy the thing just to be able to blast “Get Off Of My Cloud” by The Rolling Stones through it all the time.

Images via

h/t This Is Colossal

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