Anyone who has ever owned the Rolls-Royce of vacuum cleaners, or found themselves in the absurd position of marvelling airblade hand dryers in public bathrooms, knows that James Dyson is a master of reinventing otherwise mundane household objects. It appears however, that he hasn’t kept all of the talent to himself. With the arrival of his son’s latest invention at Geoffrey Harris Lighting, it is clear that the Dyson family are a designing force to be reckoned with. Jake Dyson’s new CSYS task light took two research-intensive years to complete, and the final product is nothing short of a masterpiece; a 65.3cm tall challenge to the current LED light manufacturers who refuse to improve their technology.
Just as Jake Dyson assumes his father’s gift for problem-solving and revolutionising the ordinary, his task lamp inherits the humble sophistication and intelligence of its own architectural ancestor: the construction crane. Its name CSYS (pronounced “C-sis”) is a geometrical abbreviation for ‘coordinate system’, nodding to the light’s ability to slide and glide fluidly across three axes: up and down, in and out, and rotationally. And once you put it in its place, it stays put. It is unobtrusive on a work surface, and the light distribution is completely adjustable; pull the arm upwards for a wide pool of light, or downwards to illuminate the task in hand. This private and precise light means you can work without distracting anyone else in the room. The 12V bulb is dimmable, and the touch sensitive controls remember the light level you left it at.
Despite its obvious structural magnificence, it is the longevity and energy efficiency of the CSYS that truly puts other desk lights to shame. In the same way a laptop cools itself; copper pipes with a fitted vacuum dissipate the heat from the LED at the same rate at which it is generated. Unlike many of the disposable electronics on the market however, this thermal management system results in an impressively long life. Boasting a minimum life span of 37 years (that’s at least 160,000 continual hours at full brightness), the lamp is not simply an investment –it is also a potential heirloom. There is no need for replacement parts, and the lack of harmful components such as mercury make the CSYS as eco-conscious as it is brilliant. With his miniature crane, Jake Dyson is lifting the bar high. Let’s hope his competitors are paying attention.