I’m a ‘live alone’ kind of guy. Every once in a while, however, I like having people over for a bit. We chat, watch a movie, or just play good old monopoly. That’s when I bust my extra mattresses out, and everyone makes themselves comfortable. After they leave, the mattresses go back into my cupboard and stay there for a month or so. What if I didn’t have to go through that pain? What if my sofa set could expand to fit an extra couple of people in? I’m not talking about fold-out couches. I mean what if my sofa actually stretched out to become wider? The Philips Smart Furniture project makes that possible. Built on the philosophy that every object has a skeleton, and an exterior, the Philips Smart Furniture allows the skeleton to expand, and the exterior to adapt to that expansion. Table Lamps become Standing Lamps, Single Beds become Queen Size Beds, etc. The possibilities are endless! And pretty amazing too!
The Smart Furniture project also explores the ability to allow furniture to change in appearance. All of this is centered around a transparent futuristic tablet that allows you to manipulate your furniture through augmented reality. While being able to change your reclining chair into a Barca Lounger seems a little too futuristic for my brain to imagine, a reclining chair expanding in size to become a reclining couch seems like something I’d absolutely love!
Designers: Jonathan Stout, Sinan Altun & Amparo M-Conde.
