What was the coal miner's greatest friend? His sturdy work boots? His trusty pickaxe? The chirping canary? Actually, it's said that the single most important invention for 19th-century miners was the lamp. With that in mind David Irwin designed the M Lamp, a wireless task lamp he's calling "the ultimate light for modern life." Inspired by the historical lamps used by miners in Northeast England, Irwin, created a sleek, powder coated aluminum lamp, complete with a carrying handle and pivoting head, that can be recharged for both indoor and outdoor use.

Standing nine inches tall, the M Lamp is powered by an integrated Lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) rechargeable battery that can emit up to 3,000 lux of warm light. Standard mode is set to 1,000 lux (equivalent to a typical bedside lamp), which it can emit for eight hours on a single charge. The dimmable LED lasts 50,000 hours and the LFP battery will last 2,000 charging cycles, meaning you can use it eight hours a day for nearly five and a half years without degrading the battery. Moreover, almost every component can be completely disassembled and recycled.

The Kickstarter campaign to launch full scale production of the M Lamp ends on Thursday, October 18th. Pledge $140 and receive a Carbon Black or Gloss White M Lamp, or pledge $95–$110 and receive a wired version of the M Lamp in orange, white with a wood cap or copper finish (beautiful, but less expensive because they come without the wireless capability).