Lightning Plate

I found another object that shows a similar effect as the lightning ball. Instead of it being a ball shape it is a flat plate.

As shown below it uses a similar effect as the lightning ball, the lightning arc's to your finger but this one also arc's away from your finger in little bolts.

With it being flat it is much easier to exploit than the lightning ball and make the effect happen by a means other than a finger.

The effect is created when the object is switched on, a gas is released which reacts with the beads inside, this causes the lightning effect. When somone touches the glass a weak source of electricity has been added and this causes the smaller lightning arc's. This can be recreated by having a hidden board inside the glass panel that can release a small electric zap in a certain area. This will cause little bolts of lightning to errupt from that spot.