FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nopales: A Playful and Innovative Modular Lamp

Sebastian Morales introduces Nopales, a modular lamp inspired by the landscapes of Mexico. The lamp is designed to be playfully assembled from a single Printed Circuit Board (PCB), subverting the industrial nature of typical PCBs to create a delightful object that brings joy and life into spaces. Nopales was exhibited at the HeadHi Lamp show in Brooklyn, NY from March to July and showcased at PioneerWorks Software For Artists Day in November.

Nopales starts as a flat PCB that can be hand-assembled into a 3D cactus, featuring multiple brightness levels and an auto sleep timer. The project began in early 2023 and has overcome significant technical challenges to create a simple and efficient way to interlock the PCBs both mechanically and electrically.

The lamp, which won the Bronze A' Design Award in 2024, is a testament to Morales' and Tiri Kananuruk's innovative approach to design, characterized by experimentation, development of custom tools, and scientific and artistic inquiry.

Nopales is a modular lamp that ships flat as a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and can easily be broken into pieces by hand. The interlocking pieces then click together to transform into a beautiful 3D cactus. Inspired by the Mexican landscapes, the playful design can be assembled in dozens of different ways and can even grow by combining multiple cards. This Nopal not only lights up spaces with a gentle glow, but also fosters a personal connection, inviting users to become co-creators in their own luminous garden.

The project looks deceptively simple but a lot of research has gone into the interlocking connections. Even when PCB manufacturing is a mature industry, there is no way to connect two boards in the ways they were searching for. Current solutions require bulky mechanical components "connectors", or to be solder. They have tried multiple approaches and worked with the PCB manufacturer through iterations. Orienting components in different planes, plating surface edges, special routing, springs, and more.

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