A touch lamp is an innovative, stylish, and extremely practical way to light up a room.
But how does a touch lamp work?
It looks like a regular lamp, but it doesn’t contain any switches. Instead, it’s controlled by your fingers. Your hands are your switch. You can use them to adjust the light from low to high or to turn the light on and off. The light adjusts based on how much pressure you apply to the lamp’s surface.
This can be extremely useful for people who are blind or visually impaired. If you’ve ever used a touch lamp before, you’ll know that the process is actually pretty straightforward.
They’ve been around for a long time. some of them are dimmable, as they use only a single frequency to detect motion. Some of them go up to level three, which is for the brightest use.
So in this guide, we’re going to share a step-by-step walkthrough on how a touch lamp works—from its very basic to more complex functions.
Also, you can read more about touch-sensitive lamps here.
How does a touch lamp work?
A touch lamp uses sensors to determine if you’ve touched its surface.
Once it knows that you’ve touched it, it sends a signal to the light board that turns on a corresponding light.
Touching the sensor again will turn off the light or change the brightness.
When their sensors wear out, you can buy a new one or replace the current.
What activates a touch lamp?
Okay, now we know the basics, but how does a lamp know you touched it?
The basic idea is that both you and the lamp are capacitors.
Touch-sensitive lamps are made up of a series of capacitors that can detect the change in capacitance when you touch a touch lamp.
It causes the lamp to:
- turn on if it’s turned off
- change the brightness setting, if the lamp has multiple brightness settings
- turn off if it’s already at the brightest setting
Are touch lamps safe?
Yes, touch lamps are safe, because the current that goes through them is very low.
There’s no need to worry about the safety of a touch lamp if you bought it or it’s made by a professional.
However, we can’t say the same if you’re building your own touch lamp. If that’s the case – make sure you know what you’re doing. Safety first!
Does a touch lamp need electricity?
Yes, touch lamps need and rely on electricity from the human body. A finger or other part of the hand is used to turn on the lamp.
The skin provides the electrical conductivity for the lamp and acts as a switch.
Are touch lamps any good?
Yes, they are. That’s why people love them – you don’t have to be precise and click the switch, you just pat it and the light is there.
Also, as I’ve already said – they’re quite useful for people that have problems with sight (who are visually impaired).
They are most often used as nightstand lamps so that you don’t have to think too much about where the switch is located. You just need to touch the lamp to turn it on.
It’s a great choice for ambient lighting. You can put them on a table next to a sofa or bed to make it look cozier. If you’re impatient, practical, and creative, this kind of lamp will suit you well.
Conclusion
Now you’ve learned how does a touch lamp work.
All in all, touch lamps are a very practical light source. They are safe, creative, and we can say that the way they work makes them even more special.
That’s why people love them – you don’t have to be precise and click the switch, you just pat it and the light is there!
