Miniature Pod Lights

My Purdue Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Project

The Problem: 

Tight spaces in which people work, such as engine bays, electrical rooms, cabinets, and more, can be difficult to see inside. Existing lighting solutions are cumbersome, difficult to aim, and not easy to attach to other objects or surfaces, making it difficult to bring light to the specific work area.

Our Solution: 

Miniature Pod Lights! A miniature, rechargeable, magnetic work light used to bring rechargeable light to tiny spaces. These lights have a long run time, tiny size, a magnetic backing, and a diffused, domed light source, making them ideal for small work areas.

My Favorite Innovation:

Our first prototype had a noticeable problem: the light was blinding and distracting, though very bright. You could not set the light in your field of vision without being blinded in a dark, tight work area.

The solution to this was to create a textured and domed cover which scatters the light and lights up a broader area. This innovation allows you to set the work light near the work area, see what you're working on, and not be distracted or blinded by the light itself.  

See the image below how the textured, clear filament of the 3D printer diffuses the light: