The ‘Cut Out the Darkness’ project from Panasonic aims to bring awareness to the fact over 1.3 billion people live without access to electricity—to put this into perspective, it’s about one in every five people. For the project, Panasonic is inviting designers of all levels to create designs cut out of paper and submit them to the Cut Out the Darkness website. The designs will be voted on and the top 100 will be reproduced with laser cutters and turned into lampshades for solar lanterns that will be given to schools and homes without electricity.
To create a design, Panasonic provides a ton of different templates that range from easy to hard on how to fold your paper, plus tools for drawing, cutting and unfolding your design virtually. Some of the renowned paper artists that have already contributed to this project include Hina Aoyama, Sarah Dennis and Kako Ueda.
By 2018, Panasonic intends to donate 100,000 lanterns to those who live without electricity around the world. These solar lanterns will provide a safe, environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to kerosene lamps. The Cut Out the Darkness project runs until February 2014.
Light-Sharing Paper Projects
Panasonic's Cut Out the Darkness Aims to Bring Light to Those Without
Trend Themes
1. Paper Art - Opportunity for designers to explore paper art and create innovative designs using laser cutting technology.
2. Sustainable Lighting - Innovation in solar lantern technology to provide safe and cost-effective lighting for those without access to electricity.
3. Social Impact - Focus on projects that address social issues and improve the lives of underprivileged communities through creative solutions.
Industry Implications
1. Design - Designers can leverage laser cutting technology and explore paper art to create unique products and installations.
2. Renewable Energy - Opportunity for companies to develop and improve solar lanterns as a sustainable lighting solution for off-grid communities.
3. Nonprofit and Social Organizations - Collaboration with organizations focused on social impact to distribute solar lanterns and bring light to those without access to electricity.