Blossoming Lamp

For me, what makes 3D printing so awesome is not just that you can make things yourself that you would have otherwise bought, but that you can make things that couldn't be made any other way. For this reason, I've been captivated by captured joints, where moving parts are printed together such that no assembly is required.

This lampshade consists of 14 interlocking pieces printed at once. When you pull up on the top, the blossom opens, allowing more light out. See the video here: http://youtu.be/blEgWG9V9sA

This lamp is my entry into ProtoParadigm's Winter Wonderland Contest, since when I'm struggling through a long, dark, Northwest winter, what I need is light and a reminder that the blossoms of spring will eventually arrive. I was inspired by http://www.mgxbymaterialise.com/limited-editions/mgxmodel/detail/detail/71, but I wanted to make a simpler, more organic model that wouldn't require a powder printer.