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The Helix is described as “a whirling and twisting column of neon light like down-town Tokyo extruded through a string machine and hooked to a vortex.” I don’t know about that, because I’ve never seen downtown Tokyo extruded through a string machine, but after staring at this thing for several hours, I did have a dream that I met Jim Morrison in the desert. He was dressed like The Prince from Katamari Damacy, and was speaking in iambic pentameter. That might have been the day-old sushi I had for dinner though.
What’s In The Box?
Because the mobile part is so delicate, this is one very well-packed piece of home entertainment. After you get through the 47 square yards of cardboard and plastic, you’ll find the hand-wound mobile, an 18″ blacklight, a battery-operated motor that drives the mobile, and a base with a magnet in the middle to keep the mobile centered while it spins.
What’s Good About It?
The Helix is really pretty entertaining to watch. It has a very powerful black light that really sets off the day-glow strings of the mobile.
The fact that the motor reverses periodically gives the motion some variability, and you can see from the video that the movement of the colors can be a little hypnotizing.
Click the image of the Helix in motion to see the video.
What Could Be Improved?
The motor is powered by a pair of AA batteries, which seem to last forever. The black light is separate and can be used on its own, so it makes sense for it to not provide power to the mobile motor, but it would be nice for the whole thing to be powered by A/C.
GadgetMadness Verdict: Tell Jim Morrison I Said Hi
My cats didn’t chase it like a Laserpod, but it’s at least as entertaining as my lava lamp or mirrored disco ball. The black light can either put you in a ’70’s velvet poster mood or a glo-stick and techno rave mood, and it can help with your next party’s ambiance.
The Helix Full-Motion Sculpture is available from Edmund Scientifics.
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