Maggie Orth
Art, Technology, Design

previous artwork

PomPom Dimmers, 2006

Media: DesignTex wool felt, hand tufted conductive yarns, acrylic, conductive tape, commercial dimmers. Individual units: 4"w x 6"h x 3/8"d. Manufactured by hand at IFM.

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The POM POM™ Wall Dimmer was an early IFM product. Simply pat the conductive pompom to turn the lights on and off, or hold it to set various dimming levels. The soft fuzzy PomPom is a capacitive e-textile sensor. It is made from conductive yarn, which senses your touch.

So how does it work?

A small charge is put on the pom pom, and your body is a big bag of salt water, so when you touch the Pom Pom, the charge is flows through your hand and into the ground.

Each dimmer is handcrafted in Seattle, WA. It is a complete lighting unit, including the dimmer and the IFM e-textile faceplate.

Easy to install, the POM POM™ Dimmer is antimicrobial and stain resistant. It was the first UL listed e-textile prduct and is patented.

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four different designs