Solar-powered LED light made of bottles

January 20, 2009 by Lisa Zyga

Enlarge

Solarbulb will come in a variety of colors and screw onto a typical water or soda bottle to diffuse the light. Image credit: miniWIZ.

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Solarbulb, a new lighting gadget from miniWIZ, doesn't exactly come with all parts included: you have to add your own water or soda bottle. The LED Solarbulb screws onto just about any leftover plastic bottle, which uniquely diffuses the light for either indoor or outdoor locations.

miniWIZ recently debuted the Solarbulb at this year's CES. The lamp charges in about three or four hours of direct sunlight, and then the 0.18-watt solar cells provide six hours of LED lighting. The lamp, covered in a weatherproof UV-ABS casing, has an adjustable head that can easily be turned to face the sun. A sensor switches the light on when it detects darkness, so the lamp doesn't waste energy during the day.

By filling the bottle up with water, users can further amplify the light, and also weigh it down in windy locations. The company hopes that the solar-powered 0.07-watt high-output LEDs with a magnifying lens will provide an energy-efficient and visually appealing alternative as outdoor walkway lights and other applications.

The Solarbulb is not yet for sale, but is expected to cost about $25 and come in a variety of colors.

More information: Miniwiz.com

via: Ecogeek.com

• morpheus2012 - Jan 20, 2009
  • Rank: 2.8 / 5 (4)
  prety cute toy
  
  for u put them on the porch around the house
  
  to look cool at nite
  • report abuse
  • • Current rank
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
• dev2000 - Jan 20, 2009
  • Rank: 3.5 / 5 (4)
  Out for 5 minutes on the porch before the neighbor's kids steal, kick, smash or otherwise destroy them.
  • report abuse
  • • Current rank
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
• SDrapak - Jan 20, 2009
  • Rank: 4.6 / 5 (5)
  Light can be dispersed by water, but not amplified. You have as much light as the LED generates, no more, no less.
  
  • report abuse
  • • Current rank
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
• el_gramador - Jan 20, 2009
  • Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
  What about the chemicals plastic bottles would leech off into the water or the surroundings?
  • report abuse
  • • Current rank
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
• YankInOz - Jan 20, 2009
  • Rank: not rated yet
  Rough crowd today!!! Must live in some fine neighbourhoods...
  Nice idea - and since all of you guys are so critical, would you mind showing me your idea and production model...
  In regards, to the plastic leaching into the soil: that's why they are suggesting using glass - less leaching. :P
  • report abuse
  • • Current rank
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
• fsmith - Jan 20, 2009
  • Rank: not rated yet
  *A sensor switches the light on when it detects darkness, so the lamp doesn't waste energy during the day.*
  
  This sounds a bit odd. Can they turned on and off manually?
  • report abuse
  • • Current rank
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
• Mercury_01 - Jan 21, 2009
  • Rank: not rated yet

  What about the chemicals plastic bottles would leech off into the water or the surroundings?

  
  
  What the hell are you talking about? How is it leeching chemicals into the water and soil if you are using it as a lamp? what about the other 97 billion plastic water bottles that are actually touching the water and soil? If you pluck it out of the trash and use it for something, that's called recycling.
  
  And you guys must have some real ravenous neighbors!
  • report abuse
  • • Current rank
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5