CSYS Task Light

Jake Dyson developed the CSYS (pronounced “c-sis”) lamp over a period of about two years. He was motivated by a desire to take advantage of the energy efficiency and sustainability of the latest light-emitting diode (LED) technology and to satisfy the need for a task lamp that would move smoothly and stay put once it was positioned.
The lamp’s key feature is an innovative thermal management system designed to cool the hot LED chips through the use of heat pipe technology, a system originally employed for cooling satellite electronics and microprocessors. LEDs last longer when kept at cooler temperatures. Dyson has cooled the CSYS LED chips significantly, increasing their lifespan to 160,000 hours (37 years), compared with about 50,000-hours for standard LED lamps and the 5,000–10,000-hour lifetime of compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. In addition to its energy efficiency, the lamp’s LEDs are additionally environmentally-friendly as they do not contain the mercury present in fluorescent bulbs.
Another innovative feature of the CSYS is its simple yet highly functional form. Dyson took his inspiration for the lamp’s linear body and movement mechanism from three sources: the basic form of a construction crane, an elevator mechanism, and a drawing board grid. The lamp consists of a simple horizontal arm, containing the LED chips and heat pipe, connected to a vertical support via a roller system with counterweight for smooth movement, and a simple circular base with dimmer. The lamp’s name, CSYS, is derived from the mathematical system of coordinates that defines an object’s position on the X, Y, Z axes on a graph; the name CSYS acknowledges the three axes on which the horizontal arm moves: up/down, back/forth, and rotationally. Unlike many earlier task lamps, which move via imprecise hinge or spring mechanisms that can stretch and loosen as they age, the CSYS arm moves smoothly and consistently and remains in place once the user has positioned it.
The CSYS task light also provides more ergonomic lighting. Dyson designed the LED light source to cast an even, warm light with good color—a key improvement upon earlier harsh, blue-tinted LED lights and yellow-tinted CFL light bulbs.
Given the rapid changes in today’s LED technology, as well as concern for energy use and sustainability, the CSYS lamp would be a fine addition to the examples of LED lighting currently in the collection. It would also expand the museum’s group of task lights, the earliest of which dates from about 1930.

CSYS Task Light; Designed by Jake Dyson (English, b. 1972); Manufactured by Jake Dyson Products; England; aluminum, copper, polycarbonate plastic, led light source; H x W x D: 65.3 x 52.7 x 17.7 cm (25 11/16 x 20 3/4 x 6 15/16 in.); Gift of Jake Dyson Products; 2012-31-1