The KNÄPPA Cardboard Digital Camera by IKEA

Check out this latest innovation by Swedish furniture company Ikea. Ikea has introduced the KNAPPA Cardboard Digital Camera. Yes, a camera made of cardboard. How much is it? Its free and believe it or not, you don’t have to spend hours assembling it with the help of a set of directions with no printed words. The KNAPPA camera will be given out for free at IKEA stores to promote their new PS Furniture Collection.

“Instead, limited numbers of the 4.13 x 2.56-inch (105 × 65 mm) camera will be given away in IKEA stores to promote the new PS 2012 furniture collection – with the aim being that shoppers will use it to share images of the furniture range in their own homes (though hopefully not still in hundreds of parts).

Designed by Jesper Kouthoofd, the recyclable camera is made out of one piece of folded cardboard which is secured by two plastic screws. A single circuit board holds all the electronics, camera sensor and integrated USB connector. There is a combined on/off and shutter button on the front – holding it down for a few seconds turns the KNÄPPA on or off and a “firm click” takes a photo.

The performance of the KNÄPPA isn’t likely to worry the likes of Nikon or Canon. It shoots decidedly lo-fi images (think a 2004 camera-phone) and IKEA jokes about the lack of functions in the promo video below – to use the “zoom function” you simply extend your arms, and “advanced image stabilization” involves resting the resting the camera on a chair.

Once 40 photos have been taken, users plug the 2.3 megapixel camera – billed as “the world’s cheapest digital camera” – into a USB port and transfer the images in the normal manner. Images can then be deleted from the camera by using a paperclip to press the delete button on the front for about five seconds.”

Check out how the camera works in the demonstration in the video below:

Via gizmag