Tag Archives: Seat

Service robot concept doubles as a chair and a tiny private office

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Service robots are becoming more common these days, from cute mobile trays that deliver food to your table to large rolling boxes that carry your luggage for you. These robots definitely serve their purpose, and they’re often designed to look pleasing or even friendly, but lack a certain element of interaction that will help put humans more at ease with these mechanical assistants. Some designs try to put a figurative human face on these robots, without much effect, while others try to focus on usability and functionality instead. This concept design, however, goes back to the drawing board to determine the best form that a service robot could take. It turns out, we’ve been sitting on the answer all this time, literally.

Designer: Yunsoo Choi

For all the drama about how robots will be replacing humans in the future, there are already certain industries where service robots have indeed taken the place of flesh and blood workers, particularly in the hospitality industry. That said, most are only capable of performing very menial and mechanical tasks, far removed from the human-like androids of our imaginations and science fiction. More importantly, these robots feel as distant and as detached from our lives as the bags they carry. They lack the interactivity and personal connection that would make them indispensable parts of our lives.

This concept design for a service robot tries to provide that kind of interaction by turning the robot into something more than just that. It uses the chair as the inspiration for its design, a functional object that also provides comfort as well as a point of human interaction. But the robot does more than offer a comfortable place to sit on; it also creates a small bubble that becomes a tiny personal office space, at least if you’re the type that can do their job on a tablet.

That’s because this tablet is what triggers the transformation between a chair and a robot. It acts like the brain of the machine, though it’s also the robot’s “face” as well as its sole interface. It’s how you can get information, pay for your hotel stay, or order food, basically anything that involves actually requesting service. The tablet magnetically attaches to the robot’s arm and can be positioned at the most comfortable angle or height for use, including while sitting on the robot chair.

Aside from these, the design also includes the common functions of such a service robot, particularly when it comes to delivering items to customers or keeping their possessions. It can even disinfect these objects using UV light inside its body. But while the idea of a service robot that also functions as a chair sounds interesting on paper, it raises the question of comfort and safety, two factors that are critical for a piece of furniture like a chair. It definitely looks a little too high to sit on comfortably and functions more like a stool than a proper chair. The “office space” is also a bit of a stretch since there’s not much space to get anything done. Still, the idea deserves more exploration and refinement and could spark more designs for service robots that become space-efficient personal offices for the mobile workers of the future.

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Cork bike saddle amplifies the eco-friendly quotient of your ride

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There was a huge increase in bicycles and all biking accessories during the pandemic as people tried to find alternative means of transportation. Now that we’re almost back to whatever normal is, bikers are still a huge segment of the transportation market for a lot of reasons. One of these is that it’s more eco-friendly that cars since it does not use any fuel. But there has also been an interest in making the bicycles themselves even more eco-friendly.

Designer: Frame Cycles

One new product that can make your bike more sustainable is the FR-1 Bike Saddle since it is made from reconstituted cork and grade 5 titanium. It was able to do away with the usual three plastic layers of the bike saddle and replace it with the single piece of cork. What’s more, this cork is able to have all the properties of those plastic layers: structural rigidity, foam comfort, and weather resistance.

According to Frame Cycles, they were able to create the first batch of these cork saddles by using a firm grade of reconstituted cork so it has the similar hardness to the usual leather bike saddle. This also means that you will have to spend at least two weeks for the cork saddle to break in and start to soften. They will eventually release variants with different grades of cork. The process of sourcing the materials from the cork trees is also less harmful as stripping the bark every 8-10 years boosts the carbon consumption 3-5 times.

Before the cork saddle gets to you, the components are harvested in Portugal and then molded when it reaches Glasgow, Scotland. This is also where the parts are treated with water-based lacquer and then integrated into the welded titanium substructure. Knowing this entire process, it will not surprise you that the FR-1 Bike Saddle is a bit expensive at around $130. But of course, it’s a small (expensive) price to pay if you want a more eco-friendly bike to accompany your sustainable lifestyle.

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Space-saving perching seat encourages you to linger but not stay for long

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We all need to catch our breaths sometimes, whether to pause after a long walk or to give our arms a rest after carrying a lot of stuff. Sometimes, we might also want to sit a bit while waiting for someone or for some event but the area doesn’t have chairs or even enough space for such furniture. In these scenarios, sitting down might bring a bit of relief, but getting back up again can turn out to be more trouble than it’s worth. The ideal solution would be something that lets you rest your body just a little bit without actually going into a deeper resting state, something that perching seats are made for. This particular design, however, takes that idea even further by offering the bare minimum in style and comfort without taking up too much space and effort to use.

Designer: Addi

Chairs are designed to provide stability and comfort, taking you into their embrace so that you might not even want to get up anymore. That’s great if you’re at home or in a lounge and have plenty of time to really relax, not so much if you’re waiting for an appointment or taking a brief reprieve from a meeting. This specific need calls for a seat that encourages both rest and movement at the same time, a dichotomy that Lumber fully embraces in its similarly contrasting design elements, like a fallen tree trunk in a forest that you briefly sit on before the next leg of your journey.

At first glance, you might not even think that Lumber would be something you should sit on, much less comfortable to use. It is, however, truly designed for comfort and convenience, especially with its flame-proof wool upholstery that can be easily removed for cleaning, replacing, or exchanging. Each Lumber perching seat is color-matched, with powder-coated metal legs in deep burgundy, latte, forest green, dusty blue, and black. A side table rises from one leg on one side, a place for your stuff, vases, drinkware, and more.

Despite its comfortable materials and stable structure, Lumber’s form suggests movement and activity. That’s no surprise, really, considering its design is inspired by a woodworker’s sawhorse, which is also the reason behind its name. Just like that piece of work furniture, Lumber is pretty barebones, which makes it take up less space. You can try fitting quite a number of these in a room and still have plenty of space to move around. Or you can opt for the Lumber Wall design that can be mounted on a wall to free up even more floor space.

Lumber was designed for lingering and loitering, encouraging you to sit for a while without committing to resting completely. It also makes for an interesting artsy piece that inspires both conversation as well as playful interactions. All these while minimizing not just its physical footprint but also material and packaging, thanks to a design that is inherently both restful yet also dynamic, embracing a spirit of journey even in its manufacturing and product lifecycle.

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These delicious candy-like chairs are shockingly made from real balloons

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Chairs, stools, and couches come in all shapes and sizes, but they are bound by a single hard requirement. They must be stable enough and sturdy enough so that people can sit on them with confidence that they won’t fall on their butts when they least expect it. Some seats put that requirement at the heart of their visual design, exuding that stability and durability simply by the way they look. Others, on the other hand, try to trick the mind by presenting what is almost like an optical illusion, making a sofa float in mid-air without making you crash to the ground. This striking collection of chairs and seats straddle the fine line between these two, offering furniture that seems to be structurally sound yet fragile enough to pop and burst at the slightest touch.

Designer: Seungjin Yang

There is something about balloons that bring out the inner child in us. Even grownups still find something fascinating about balloons twisted into different shapes and creatures. A balloon dog made of metal steel even became a famed designer Jeff Koons’ iconic signature. Balloons’ often shiny colors convey a sense of playfulness, while their round forms that encapsulate air almost give them an ephemeral character, two qualities you might not exactly associate with something that needs to be stable and sturdy, like chairs.

That, however, is exactly what the Blowing collection brings to the table, or rather to the floor. Made from different balloon sizes shaped into rods, circles, and spirals, the chairs immediately capture one’s attention because of their unusual shapes. Whether opaque or translucent, the bright colors and shiny surfaces will probably make one think of candies, which should probably be a cautionary note for parents with toddlers and babes.

Despite how whimsical they look, the chairs are all serious business when it comes to being chairs. Each balloon is blown up and shaped before being bathed in epoxy several times over. The multiple layers of resin are necessary to make them solid enough to support people of different weights. Once that treatment is done, the parts are assembled into a single eye-catching piece, turning several balloons into stools, chairs, or even couches for people of different ages.

The design allows for a variety of color combinations, whether going for a single chromatic theme or letting loose on the paintbrush. Admittedly, the fanciful visage of these chairs might not fit some interiors, but if you’re looking for something that will instantly spark interest and conversation, you can do no wrong with a chair that both looks charming and yet also a little worrying at the same time.

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This wearable seating offers balance and comfort for manual laborers

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The Achilles’ heel refers to one’s weakness or vulnerable point. It’s a term used to describe a person’s weakness that can lead to his downfall. But we’re giving the term a new image as the Achilles’ Heel we have here offers numerous benefits to many people.

The Achilles’ Heel is a unique design by Camille Ringenbach, a French industrial designer who desires to solve the problem of poor postures among laborers. The designer once observed workes at a vineyard and witnessed how the grape-pickers can suffer and experience physical stress from all the work. In addition, she has seen the challenges of constantly being in a deep squatting position for labor.

Designer: Camille Ringenbach

It can be difficult for any person as the posture can be affected. And so, the Achilles’ Heel is designed (albeit ironically named) to help people and work as a wearable seating. This solution comes in a waterproof foam that offers a comfortable mobile seat. The idea is that the foam provides comfort and balance while in different positions.

The waterproof foam is shaped like a pyramid. It looks like a doorstop but is more prominent in size. It comes with straps for support and to keep it in place as the straps hug the leg. The foam works as a seat when a person is squatting. This offers balance and stability to help workers, especially during long hours under the sun. Product and industrial designer Camille Ringenbach’s observation of grape pickers and winegrowers sparked the idea and has been transformed into a simple but intelligent solution.

The comfortable mobile seat will make things easy for the workers. Each pair allows anyone to sit comfortably when squatting. Simply place the foam above each heel, and you can be comfortable soon.

There is no restriction on what kind of shoes to wear with the foam, but a pair of boots may be ideal. Boots can protect the feet and heels, and if they are long, even the legs where the straps of the Achilles’ Heels are wrapped. The ultimate goal is comfort for the wearer so make sure the foam is secure and set in place every time it’s worn.

The Achilles Heel is a concept design, but it has an enormous potential to sell. Manual laborers and workers that always sit and squat will find the project a helpful solution. Moreover, the idea is actually quite simple most people can probably make their version.

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Siemens Pendulum Seat swings out of the way when trains need more standing room

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Trains are designed to sit commuters comfortably, or at least in theory. In many cases, however, it might be more efficient to have everyone just stand, and this concept makes it possible for the same train to do both.

As the world tries to return to normal, mass transportation services are once again becoming crowded. In many countries, trains of all kinds are seen as the most efficient way to move the biggest number of people, but their designs are mostly stuck in the past when it comes to seating accommodations. In trying to accommodate both sitting and standing passengers, trains actually fail at serving both at the best of their capacity. That is unless they try to implement Siemen’s idea.

Designer: Siemens

Image Courtesy of Red Dot

Despite its name, the Pendulum Seat doesn’t swing back and forth freely or loosely. It is, instead, more like the pendulum of a metronome that can be locked at fixed positions. A single seat is actually made up of two seats whose backrests can either fold up or swivel down to form an atypical sitting position.

The idea here is to have the same train change its sitting or standing capacity at any given time. If there aren’t that many passengers onboard, like during off-peak hours, the Pendulum Seat can be used as a conventional seat with ample legroom for commuters. During rush hours, however, the backrests can go completely vertical to provide more room for people to stand.

All of these can be controlled by the train driver to adjust the configuration with the push of a button. There is even a configuration where backrests can alternate their positions, creating an odd seating arrangement. In its vertically folded form, the backrests can even be used as support for standing passengers to lean against.

The idea is definitely novel and interesting, which is why Siemens bagged a few awards for its design. That said, the design itself might not look that comfortable, especially as a chair where you will be parking your bum on what is practically a padded cylinder. This design seems to be more focused on getting as many people around as possible rather than on providing comfort during the travel time. Then again, there is probably nothing more uncomfortable than having to fight for space on a crowded train made more cramped by unyielding seats.

Images Courtesy of iF Design

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These designers are using 3D-printing robots to turn the city’s plastic waste into beautiful public furniture

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That detergent bottle you threw into recycling could someday turn into furniture instead of ending up in a landfill, if The New Raw had its way. The Netherlands-based studio is looking to turn Rubbish into Raw Materials, with its innovative material sorting system and its massive robotic 3D printers that effectively repurpose plastic waste into some of the most beautiful furniture ever. The Pots Plus, showcased here, absolutely reimagines what recycled plastic bottles are capable of. What was once a container for chemical detergents, soaps, or solvents, is now turned into an artistically fluid piece of furniture that welcomes humans and plants alike, with its amoeboid design that’s a cross between a chaise lounge and a large planter!

The transformation isn’t just a material one, it’s a philosophical one too. Mass-produced chemical-holding shampoo/detergent bottles, a perfect example of capitalistic use-and-throw culture, are turned into street furniture that welcomes humans and plants, and is designed to actually help the public as well as the environment. This design process relies on an extremely complex material processing system that The New Raw has perfected in their Rotterdam-based studio. Founded in 2015 by architects Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki, the studio aims at giving new life to discarded materials through design, robots, and craftsmanship. In every way, it’s the antithesis of consumerism. The benches aren’t mass-produced, but are painstakingly crafted one by one. They’re designed using recycled materials, are made for the welfare of public, and most importantly, they’re designed to last.

The benches come in a variety of organic shapes, designed around human contours and proportions. Designed to accommodate human bodies in relaxed positions, the Pots Plus create novel working and recreational spaces, replacing the benches found in public spaces. Designed for lobbies, libraries, airports, and a host of other spaces that see people resting, waiting, and working, the benches have enough space for humans as well as their belongings, like their small bags, laptops, tablets,books, coffee cups, etc.

What’s fascinating about the Pots Plus (and all of The New Raw’s work), is its sheer scale. The 3D printing robots they use aren’t your run-of-the-mill desktop or even industrial printers. They’re developed in-house by The New Raw to suit their larger-than-life needs, and the results look nothing short of stunning as if they were rotationally molded. The furniture, however, comes covered with a set of horizontal ‘stepped’ lines, a textural detail that’s common with all 3D printed objects. Instead of removing the texture using sandpapers, primers, heat-guns, etc., The New Raw celebrates those lines as a way of showing off how capable their massive 3D printing robots are.

On one side of the Pots Plus is a large opening to add a planter, which gives the furniture a vibrant pop of green, and reinforces its earth-friendly approach. Each bench then becomes a place not just for humans to rest, but for plants to grow too, turning common public furniture into a spot of fresh greenery that’s conveniently located to provide a canopy of shade while someone rests on the bench too!

Designers: Panos Sakkas and Foteini Setaki (The New Raw)

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This Movie Theater Seat has its own built-in surround-sound system for a truly immersive experience

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The FLEXSOUND Pulse generates its own immersive ‘bubble’ of full-range audio around the person sitting in it. Its makers designed it to be the cinema seat of the future, but they see it being used in gaming, live performances, and even at home.

The terms ‘immersive’ and ‘loud’ aren’t necessarily interchangeable… that’s a distinction that the FLEXSOUND Pulse focuses on. It replaces the need for those loud 5.1 surround sound systems by putting the speakers right into their futuristic movie-theater seats, so you don’t just listen to the audio, you FEEL it too.

Flexsound Pulse - The first fully loudspeaker-free cinema sound system

The FLEXSOUND Pulse is an almost cabin-esque seat that envelops you in your personal “soundsphere.” The Pulse comes with carefully-positioned full-range audio systems built right into the seat, giving you an experience that blurs the lines between auditory and tactile. Just how your heart thumps to music at a concert, the chair’s audio systems immerse your ears and body in sound and vibrations without necessarily being loud. Moreover, the chair’s felt-lined walls along the side help contain the sound within the space inside the seat, resulting in minimal sound leakage. This means your audio experience exists within the confines of your chair, so your family and neighbors don’t get disturbed while you’re watching a Michael Bay film or an exceptionally rowdy football match. Sadly though, it also means you can’t really talk to people beside you or efficiently pass the popcorn around (although that might just be a good thing).

Flexsound Pulse - The first fully loudspeaker-free cinema sound system

The chairs are designed to wirelessly receive sound, and can be arranged in a variety of numbers and orientations for smaller private cinemas as well as larger public movie theaters… and just in case you’re wondering, yes, they could potentially be used at home too, along with your TV or your gaming rig. Or better still, just pop on a VR headset and enter perhaps the most immersive movie-watching experience known to humankind.

Designer: FLEXSOUND

Flexsound Pulse - The first fully loudspeaker-free cinema sound system

Flexsound Pulse - The first fully loudspeaker-free cinema sound system

Innovative strap-system on the back of this airline seat makes it easy to store all your belongings

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You could potentially spend anywhere from 3 to 20 hours on a single flight… which is why airline seats are designed to be less like furniture and more like a microliving space where you can either sleep, read, eat, or just admire the scenery from the window. The chairs recline, they come with dedicated fans, lights, a foldout table, and even a button to summon the flight staff, but they offer little when it comes to storing your regular belongings. Sure, there’s space right beneath the seat in front of you, but that isn’t always easy to access; and sure there’s a pouch near the foldout table, but it can barely store the security pamphlet, a magazine, and an air-sickness bag.

‘Strap’ is a system that relooks the way the back of the airline seat is laid out. Designed keeping that very microliving approach in mind, the back of the seat is transformed into a micro-closet using a web of elastic straps that criss-cross from top to bottom and left to right. These straps, which remain flat when not in use, are wonderful for tucking things into and latching things onto. You could potentially stash your bottle in them, dock your iPad in them, tuck your passport, boarding pass, book in the straps, and use them in a whole variety of ways to store things but allow them to be accessed easily. The Strap’s system is incredibly freeing, and offers you with the ability to use it exactly how you see fit. From storing your spectacles or neck-pillow, to even potentially using it to hang your headphones or your kid’s toy, the Strap system is quite literally limitless… and it doesn’t obstruct how the fold-out table works either!

Designers: Ulysse Van Duinen & Donatien Lenoir

Also Read: This Strap-based Laptop Sleeve lets you carry more than just a MacBook!

The stork chair brings birds of all feathers together in schools and offices!

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Storks are birds we mostly read about in childhood books, but designer Krishna Rammohan turned it into a minimal chair that is loved by children and adults alike! Accurately named Stork, this birdlike seat fits in any setting be it work or play. The idea for the chair was born alongside Rammohan’s newborn nephew and she wanted to create a space where he could play, study, and grow with the furniture that surrounded him.

While the design originally began as a chair meant to transform elementary school classrooms into more free-flowing and collaborative spaces, Stork chairs can flock together in any space – common rooms in offices, coffee shops, and homes. Stork reimagines current day seating options and addresses the pain points associated with fixed table seating typically found in classrooms. “Students should experience the 6Cs, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, communication, connectivity, and culture. The future classroom is about collaboration, flexibility, and sharing experiences with one another. The birdlike stool, therefore, provides kids and teachers with a moveable, highly adjustable seat to freely move and study on. I believe kids should have objects around them that seem whimsical, almost coming out of a storybook, to inspire them to dream bigger,” says Rammohan.

Stork is the result of the harmonization of two forms – the pouf is a comfortable plush seat that provides the user with 4 directions of sitting which encourages collaboration and community-building through the ease of interaction. The beak is a smooth, robust form that functions as a small desk that can conform to the user’s ever-changing seating position. “I began with two volumetric cardboard mockups. One is a modular seat that featured a side slit that could afford adaptors like backrests, personal tables, and pockets. The other mockup was an early version of Stork with a small personal table and a cylinder seat,” explains the designer. She made 3 more cardboard full-scale mockups pushing the ergonomics and human factors of the Stork seat before landing on the final design that would use ribbed plywood and woolen upholstery.

The simple chair forms an instant emotional and joyful connection with its user – you are no longer sitting in a grid of boring chairs but a flock of colorful birds!

Designer: Krishna Rammohan

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