'The Cloud' delivers personal thunder and lightning as well as your favourite tunes

Some people consider thunder and lightning to be very soothing and love to fall asleep while listening to a recording of a thunderstorm. Now thanks to a designer from New Zealand by the name of Richard Clarkson, there is an interactive lamp called The Cloud, that resembles a real cloud and can deliver thunder and lightning in the safety of your own home, but it's more than just a lamp.

[Image Source: Richard Clarkson]

This clever device runs on an Arduino microcontroller and The Cloud, which does look remarkably like a  real thundercloud, reacts to motion and changes colour and brightness. The thunder and lightning show can be turned off and The Cloud can be used as a normal light or even a nightlight when dimmed. To top it off, The Cloud can also play music streamed from any device that has Bluetooth capabilities (although being called The Cloud, we would have expected WiFi compatibility).

[Image Source: Richard Clarkson]

The realistic looking thundercloud consists of hypoallergenic fibrefill which has been felted onto a sponge case which forms the frame. This frame also holds the lighting system along with the speakers, which make the cloud not only look like the real deal but also sound like the real deal.

[Image Source: Richard Clarkson]

The clouds are made by hand and as such, each one is unique in its aesthetics. While their sizes and shapes do vary, they are around 28 x 14 x 13 inches.

[Image Source: Richard Clarkson]

Having your own thundercloud and lighting in your home doesn’t come cheap, the top of the range is US$3, 360. This is the price for the smart version, which comes with the colour changing lights, along with wireless remote control, 2.1 speakers and the motion detection unit. There is a lamp version available which has the Phillips LEF dimmable bulb but none of the extras or sounds. If you want your Cloud to look even more realistic then you can get the satellite add-on for $240, a small cloud that can be added to the main cloud for a more realistic scene.

[Image Source: Richard Clarkson]