Welcome the latest innovation that might up the ante for “smart” in-home electronics: The Aspirational Lamp is a solar-powered desk lamp that, in addition to shining light, aims to generate its own return on your investment. The truly smart lamp has the ability to twist toward the sun to gather — and store — the maximum amount of energy; when not in use, it then sells excess energy back to the grid, and invests earnings in the stock market, with the goal of earning itself enough money over time to pay for upgrades and new parts for itself (but not enough to enable early retirement). According to the video below, the lamp would be self-diagnostic, able to check stock prices and order replacement parts if it starts to malfunction.
"Smart appliances are here already, and we can expect to continue seeing them enter into many more aspects of our lives," Craddock told Fast Company. "There are countless things hooked up to the Internet, and we can already point to examples of objects that are starting to maintain themselves, like the Amazon Dash Button."
We may be a few years away from such an innovation, but the idea is Aspirational, indeed.
Get the latest insights, trends, and innovations to help position yourself at the forefront of sustainable business leadership—delivered straight to your inbox.
Published Jun 30, 2015 7pm EDT / 4pm PDT / 12am BST / 1am CEST