Horace Lam · CLIENT: Creations Un Limited
MABY is a modular smart lighting system designed for building decorative light sculptures. The system uses flat cells in four shapes: triangle, square, pentagon and hexagon. The cells connect to one another, so many different structures can be formed. Colored pattern plates, called MABY skin, attach to each cell to change its appearance. Brightness, color and on or off status are adjusted by touching the cells or by using a mobile application. The intent is to support creative expression at home for users of many ages.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- MABY’s purpose is to inspiring people’s creative expression. Anyone can freely build their ideas and create their own art. It does this through three unique features. First its cells allow users to envision and build any structures with ease. Second, sensors equipped cells add to maby’s versatility and playfulness by allowing users greater control. Third is maby Skin, a series of beautifully coloured pattern plates to complement the users’ visions and add to the aesthetic of the creations.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- MABY brain- Master controller, 93mm x 11mm x 35mm,Cable is not included
maby cells-
Triangle- 93mm x 11mm x 88mm
Square- 118mm x 11mm x 118mm
Pentagon- 165mm x 11mm x 165mm
Hexagon- 208mm x 11mm x 198mm - Tags
- Smart light, Lighting system, Decoration art, Smart home system, Smart lamp, Eduction, Dementia segment training
- Production Technology
- I started out with a vision of 3D shapes that allow users to freely build their own structures, like my son’s blocks. Then I deconstructed the 3D blocks into sets of four different 2D shapes, called cells, to allow for max building flexibilities. Then, R&D resources were spent on the various plastic case and precise PCB design/lighting inside compact cells, calculating the torque exerted on the connectors, and perfecting the possible numerical methods and equations and computer programming.
- Design Challenge
- One of the most challenging aspects of maby was the cells’ connectors as they need to withstand the forces exerted on them while they’re being rotated 180 degrees with reverse polarity. They also serve as communication ports for data transmission from the App. Each mechanism inside the connector has done different trail sets. Seven generations of prototypes were created. 3D computer modelling to solve the linear algebra equation for programming code was also a major challenge to overcome.
- Project Duration
- This project concept and research started in 2015. Product mechanism, firmware and APP structures started development from 2017 to 2018 which has gone through 5 eras of prototypes.
In March 2019, maby joined the exhibition "Marketing Pulse 2019" in Hong Kong as a partner company’s decoration. In September 2019, MABY joined Maison & Object in France. In December 2019, MABY was invited to Design Inspire in Hong Kong. - Operation Flow
- Create – Visualize and build your maby sculpture design by connecting cells of different shapes (i.e. triangle, square, pentagon and hexagon)
Color - Connect your sculpture to the maby APP. Pick the cells you want to control and adjust their brightness, colours, on/off status via the maby APP interface or by touching the cells.
maby Skin - Attach the pattern plate, called maby Skin, to the inner ring of each cell to create your favourite maby style. - Research
- Applied research. To develop decoration lamp combines with art and technology build by user. Identify possible 2D and 3D shapes to be used Math, computer programming building demo cells, programming evaluation MABY cells communication with app. Collecting play experience from construction toys, compare light decoration from market. Various professional maby testimonial. MABY could result with infinite shapes. User capability beyond what they expected. Users proof MABY is suitable from kids to senior.
- Inspiration
- I got inspiration from my three-year old son as he was playing with his blocks and asked me was there any toys for daddy so he could build with me. This sparked my eagerness to create something that could inspire and connect everyone. So I began the maby project. The first signs of encouragement came when it received the Hong Kong invention patent funding. Then more exciting news came as it received the invention patents of five other countries shortly afterward. My son was also very keen on seeing the new parts of MABY as it was being developed and has been my cheerleader since the beginning.
- Image Credits
- Image #3: Painter Bao Ho, Bao1 & Bao2, 2021
- Patents
- HK1216219
US 10,424,865 B2
ZL 2017 8 0006447.1
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