MIT Media Lab
how to make almost anything - MAS 863 


Design problem:


Provocative Chair:

How can I design a chair that has simple intelligence and conveys a sense of animated character to anyone who uses it?

The Chair's structure will be made up of a thick wool flannel which will be perforated to hold a grid of molded silicone cushions. As the sitter moves in the chair the chair will record these movements and, over a period of time, the chair will react (change in temperature and/or vibrations) to simple repetetive behaviors. The silicone cushions would have a quiltedquality, so that various interactions could happen at different locations in the 'fabric'. The silicone molds could be embedded with sensors (piezo actuators and transducers, peltier device, LED's). The arm rests will also have a silicone detail meshed with the aluminum structure. The silicone area of the arm rests could also have touch sensors at particular locations.