Nopales

Lamp for MORAKANA

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.

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Nopales by Sebastian Morales

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Lamp by Sebastian Morales

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Sebastian Morales Nopales

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Sebastian Morales Lamp

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Unique Properties

Nopales is a modular lamp designed to be playfully assembled from a single Printed Circuit Board. Unlike typical PCBs that are flat and hidden inside enclosures, Nopales subverts this industrial nature to create a delightful object that is meant to be touched, bring joy, and evoke life into our spaces. It can ship flat as a postcard and can be hand assembled into your own nopal. Grow you cactus by combining cards.

Tags

PCB, Lamp, Nopales, Cactus, Modular, Mexico, Art, Garden

Production Technology

Printed Circuit Board, LEDs, Microcontroller, CR2032 Battery

Design Challenge

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 we were searching for. Current solutions require bulky mechanical components "connectors", or to be solder. We have tried multiple approaches and worked with the PCB manufacturer though iterations. Orienting components in different planes, plating surface edges, special routing, springs, and more.

Project Duration

The project started early 2023 and exhibited at the HeadHi Lamp show in Brooklyn NY from March until July. A new updated version was shown at PioneerWorks Software For Artists Day in November.

Operation Flow

Nopales starts as a flat PCB that breaks apart by hand and can be interlocked into your own Nopal (cactus), then you can press the button to cycle though multiple brightness levels. It has an auto sleep timer to prevent draining the battery in case you forget to turn it off.

Inspiration

Nopales was inspired by the landscapes of my Mexican upbringing and our passion for developing creative hardware. We wanted to reframe Printed Circuit Boards (PCB)s beyond their technical existence, to expose the material's beauty and transform it into something tactile, delightful and captivating. We spent months working with manufacturers to create a simple and efficient way to interlock the PCBs both mechanically and electrically. Nopales circuit is designed to shine for months or even years.

Image Credits

MORAKANA LLC

Project Overview

Nopales Lamp has been a Bronze winner in the Product Engineering and Technical Design award category in the year 2023 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

Bronze Recognition

Sebastian Morales was recognized with the coveted Bronze A' Design Award in 2024, a testament to excellence of their work Nopales Lamp.

Sebastian Morales Newsroom

Discover outstanding design and award-winning initiatives in the Sebastian Morales Newsroom.