Smart machines don't necessarily lead to Skynet; according to a new proposal, they may simply breed stockbrokers with 60-watt bulbs. A new speculative lamp concept designed by a team of Danish students not only positions itself to collect solar power when not in use, but theoretically, can then sell that excess energy back to the grid and invest proceeds in the stock market, in effect paying for its own repairs and upgrades. Created as part of the Secret Life of Objects class at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, the Aspirational Lamp makes some points about the future of interconnected homes while lampooning Internet of Things hype. But now that something like the Amazon Dash button isn't merely theoretical, the concept also points to some possible directions for smart home technology. Now you don't just have to be worried about privacy and security concerns when you bring wired devices into the home; who knows what'll happen when they get together for poker?
The Aspirational Lamp from CIID IDP on Vimeo.
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