Physics-defying tables and chairs are the product of an MIT-trained roboticist, who is stepping into the world of furniture design.
The dynamic furniture designed by RockPaperRobot, founded by Jessica Banks, is a synthesis of science and modern design. “Think Charles Eames’s and Judy Jetson’s wedding registry,” the company touts.
The sculpture–like structure (above), for example, is a coffee table from the their Float Collection, a line of levitating tables and shelves.
Banks, an MIT grad, studied in the Humanoid Robotics Group in the school’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, and also taught in the school’s civil and environmental engineering department. It isn’t entirely logical that someone with that résumé would start a furniture company. Then again, RockPaperRobot isn’t really a furniture company. What it sells is closer to functional art than anything else.
For proof of this, look no further than its levitating Rubix cube. The Float Table is comprised of magnetized wooden blocks held together by a system of tensile steel cables that elastically responds to weight with a brief wiggle, before it returns to its original form. It offers the same design in shelf form as well (see below).
The Ollie Chair, the company’s latest product, collapses into a flat two-inch frame with the tug of a string using origami folding techniques. The concept is simple, but the design, rooted in kinetics and aesthetics, is brilliant.
Just as crucial as saving space (especially for city dwellers) is versatility. One of the chair’s bigger selling points is its lumbar support—a rarity in fold-out chairs.
To support rolling out its new Ollie Chair, the company launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. In just three days, RockPaperRobot funded 70% of its project. It’s available in teak for $275 as well as felt and distressed paint finishes for $450. Those wishing to support RockPaperRobot or get their hands on the Ollie Chair first can do so by clicking here. See exclusive photos of the chair below.
(Courtesy RockPaperRobot) (Courtesy RockPaperRobot)
RockPaperRobot produces the Float collection with standard wooden and metallic finishes, but offers many options for customization. For more information or to place an order, click here. To learn more about the Ollie Chair watch the video below.
—RealClearLife
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