Nothing to do with design surprises us anymore, however when we heard about paper that can be rolled up into a fulling working torch or a lamp we did found it hard to believe. Step forward Nendo.
This flat-packed light by Nendo is made from a single piece of conductive paper, which can be rolled up to create a handheld torch that can be used for examples in emergency situations.
The Paper Torch was designed by the Japanese studio alongside circuit manufacturer AglCand paper company Takeo.
The torch has circuits on both sides of the synthetic paper called Yupo that were printed with a checker pattern. Two button cells and seven LEDs were glued on with conductive adhesive while the resistance was changed by varying the path length of each LED. This detail allows the user to control the lighting by how tight the paper is rolled. The longer the path, the higher the resistance; conversely, the shorter the earth the lower the resistance. this means that light becomes dimmer when you roll the lamp loosely, and brighter when it has been tightly rolled.
The LEDs also appear a different colour depending on which way the paper is rolled. If the torch is rolled so that the LEDs are uncovered by other portions of the paper, they emit a warm orange-toned glow, but if rolled so that the LEDs are obscured by other parts of the sheet, they appear to emit more of a bright white light.
Furthermore, when pushed through a stand with rings attached to the end, it can also be used as a simple desk lamp. Many different applications are possible in the near future with Nendo suggesting being for emergency use and disaster prevention.
For further information please see the official website here.
