Inspired by the elegance of a water lilly and fascinated by the concept of a Perpetuum Mobile I designed a dynamic scent diffuser. Research has shown that scents can affect our mood and that they even have air cleansing properties. Scent diffusers heat up the essential oils (usually dissolved in water) allowing them to vaporize into the air. My goal was to create a hypnotical and meditative installation that stimulates not only the olfactoric senses but the visual and acoustic as well.

The diffuser consists of 3 loose elements: the base, the vase, and a steel ball. In the middle of the base rests an electrical motor. A magnet is attached through an extension to the motor.

1. When the motor is turned on the magnet is rotating smoothly around the middle axis.

2. The steel ball in the vase is following the magnet because of its magnetic attraction. The vase is designed in a way that it can easily rotate around itself once the steel ball is moving.

3. The movement of the steel ball activates an induction field within the steel ball causing it to heat up.

4. The scented water gets heated up by  the ball allowig the essential oils to evaporate into the air.

The result is meditative play designed to give relaxation by stimulating the visual, acoustic and olfactoric senses.