InventorSpot

I have mixed feelings about Stanford and MIT graduate David Ngo's Zipper Light. I find myself oddly attracted and repelled simultaneously, on some gut level that goes beyond logic. Perhaps this is due in part to the fact that it reminds me of legendary horror villain Freddy Krueger's handiwork, who scared the living daylights out of me in my younger years. (Note to future parent self: Movies have R ratings for a reason.) Yet at the same time, I am drawn to the light emanating from beyond the darkness, as it seems to suggest some kind of greater, brighter reality.

Zip it

Zipper Light is meant to provide the user with an all-around sensory experience: Users satisfy their kinesthetic and auditory senses by pulling the zippers while also altering the brightness levels to achieve a customized lighting element.

In a dimly lit environment, the effect is quite dramatic, as you can see from this video below.

I'd love to see this go into production, as it has such a hard-edged, industrial feel to it. On a commercial level, a larger installation would be a great conversation starter at a club or bar, and with a little creativity the arrangement of the zippers and materials used could make for some really interesting variations. Go, David!

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