Although the selection for color-adjustable LED lighting is plentiful, even the best technology can't quite hold a candle to the majesty of a live, contained fire. Flameflex, currently funding on Kickstarter, is designed to safely augment interior ambiance by conjuring up a one-foot pillar of twisting flame.
Tealights and votives are traditionally a go-to choice for setting the mood once lights have been dimmed – it's hard to resist that gentle flicker and warm glow. Flameflex takes this enchanting concept to the next level by creating something many of us have seen, but not on such a small scale. Restaurants with patio seating often have (contained) gas heaters spitting gouts of fire to help keep customers comfortable in colder weather. But what the Flameflex may lack in heat generation is made up by dazzle, portability, and convenience.
Flameflex features a motorized base and a detachable mesh cylinder that magnetically rests on top. The device can be operated by either the included USB power module or standard batteries (not included), which are claimed to last for up to 10 hours of continual use.
Flameflex is designed to be filled with the kind of ethanol fuel readily found at many retailers. The two-tier tank design stores fuel in the bottom cell for reserves, while the upper cell performs the combustion. A full tank of fuel is stated as being able to burn for up to three hours.
Once Flameflex has been lit, users simply set the cylinder in place and give it a bit of spin. The device is then supposed to create a rising column of fire, all without the aid of any kind of fan. The team behind Flameflex claims that the rotating mesh cylinder, combined with hot gases moving upward from the burning flame to create high and low pressure zones, is what generates the angular momentum required to support the natural beauty of a fiery vortex.
Flameflex rotates the cylinder at a uniform pace, which likely helps to prevent the flame from exceeding too far beyond the very top. The thermonet-constructed cylinder is meant to resist high heat and be (relatively) safe to the touch. Suction cups affixed to the base keep the unit secure on flat, smooth surfaces. Yet despite all of these safety elements, the team still recommends to keep Flameflex out of reach of pets and children, just as one might a normal candle.
The Flameflex Kickstarter campaign has raised 76 percent of its US$10,000 goal in two days, with another 28 days left of funding to go. Early-bird pledges start at $64, which includes the Flameflex set, fuel, lighter, damper, power module, and socket adapter.
The team has shown off prototypes and is ready for production. So if everything goes as planned, backers can expect shipments of Flameflex to start as early as January, 2017.
Check out the video below to see Flameflex in action.
Source: Kickstarter
