This Beautiful Lens Lets You Draw With The Sun

Now on Kickstarter, Febo is a new tool that lets you engrave objects by using the sun like a laser. Designed by Rosalia Galeano, Francesca Padoyan, and Paola Papetti, it's a lens that laser focuses the sun's rays, branding almost anything as cleanly as a red hot cattle iron.

It looks pretty simple to use. To brand an object, you first cut a stencil of the design you want out of white paper, then fit it into the Febo lens. Next, you place the Febo's lens over the object, tilt it at a 90° angle towards the sun, and let the Febo do its work. The white paper of the stencil effectively bounces unwanted light out, while the lens concentrates the remaining sunlight until it's hot enough to scorch leather, felt, cork, and more.

The designers of Febo say it's "fun for all ages and skill levels," but I think it's fair to say this thing's probably pretty dangerous to leave unattended on your window sill. It also appears that the designers might be a little worried about an errant laser beam blasting out a customer's eyeball, since they suggest wearing sun glasses when you're using the device.

Still, with a base made out of hand-milled walnut, the Febo looks like a fun and attractive design tool. Its creators say that passing clouds will actually impart their character to the patina of a Febo's design, meaning that along with the strength and position of the sun, no two engravings will be exactly the same. And how often do you get to draw with the sun, anyways?

You can preorder a Febo on Kickstarter now starting at just $35

[via Designboom]

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