LightNudge: A Modern Barometer [Kickstarter]

LightNudge is a new Kickstarter project by Maura Atwater and Adam Kumpf of the up-and-coming Makeshift Workshop. It’s a color-emitting barometer — made of solid hardwood and marble — that helps you keep an eye on upcoming weather.

It’s not so much a detailed weather report as a glanceable way to see if it’s going to be sunny, fair, or rainy outside before you walk out the door. It also learns what to expect based on barometric patterns in your area:

[LightNudge] abstracts pressure values into a range of distinct colors representing the local barometric (and corresponding weather) forecast. As that forecast changes, the color of the light will reflect the latest prediction for the next 6-12 hours.

At any given time, LightNudge will be one of five colors: warmer (yellow and orange) indicates that higher pressure is expected, while cooler (blue and violet) means that lower pressure is likely. Because LightNudge learns and adjusts over time, there’s no need for manual calibration.

The brass touch point on the front offers a few hidden features:

  • Tap it to change LightNudge’s brightness
  • Double-tap it to replay the previous 24 hours of pressure data
  • Press and hold it to convert LightNudge into a white accent light or nightlight; repeat action to convert it back

As of this writing, there are 26 days left for the project to be funded, and they have a long way to go before reaching their $47K goal. If this modern twist on barometer technology is up your alley, go back the project for at least $89 to get a LightNudge of your own.