The concept is tailored to shared and/or changing workspace settings. The furniture design is transportable, adaptable, expandable and versatile.
This furniture concept uses as few different parts as possible which can be assembled in multiple different ways and be applied multifunctional as bookshelves, Table legs and Stools.
The furniture has an integrated free/busy timeline indication, where a row of green or red LEDs reflects current and future availability in a online calendar.
Acknowledging that the concept only consists of an early prototype, then further development and practical applications of the ability to reserve a space and configure it as needed may pave the way for a human centred approach to shared workspaces.
There is a huge history of cube-shaped and/or modularized furniture, but I believe that the Common Cube has been my primary source of inspiration. My idea for the furniture however derived from the press-fit construction exercise during the first weeks of FabAcademy - tinkering with paper led through multiple iterations including laser cut mockups to the final design.
The integrated electronic is a modification of Neils hello.bus.45.bridge, to which I have added an extra LED but more importantly a female FTDI that allows for serial connections of multiple boards. I have thus named it the Infinite Bridge.
The solution uses Node-RED as interface to which there are APIs that allows for integration with Google Calendars. My work using Node-RED took it's departure from the Node-RED documentation about the Google API.
Bookable Modular Furniture will be disseminated through a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The design is made available to everyone but production, publishing or alterations to the design with appropiate credits.
If you publish your version of Bookable Modular Furniture, both commercially and non-commercially, you are obliged to give credit to Claus Nicolaisen and link to following website:
https://macosh.net/bookable-modular-furniture/.
I will be excited to follow the spread of the design – so please send me an email with links to and images of your work with Bookable Modular Furniture.
Bookable Modular Furniture is designed, so it can easily be (re)produced. You can use a laser cutter, a CNC-router or even just a normal jigsaw to build your basic modules. Files required for reproduction can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.
The Bookable Modular Furniture can serve as a departing point for workshops oriented towards both design and technical applications of various digital fabrication technologies.
The design is created as my final project at FabAcademy – but my reason to participate in FabAcademy is to be best possible prepared to promote innovation through the spread of design thinking, digital fabrication and programming to the educational sector.
Learn more by visiting https://macosh.net.
I am a well trained work/life balancer. I am able to allocate time available to work on my FabAcademy based on negotiation of my weekly schedule with both my employer and family.
My project plan listed below has served as my priority list - and I added various task to available timeslots in my calendar.
When I got behind schedule I had to bringing the laptop to my couch and thus maybe payed a little less attention to my better half than I ought to.
| Task Description | Succes Criteria | Required for Completion | Schedule / Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronincs design | Control 2 LEDs through serial | Completed | |
| Populate Infinite Bridges | Network connection | Produce 5 more | 1/6 Complete | -->
| Serial interface | Node-RED controls serial output | Completed | |
| Graphical User Interface | Allows easy Controls serial output | Completed | |
| Google API in Node-RED | Calendar driven serial output | Further study | Incomplete |
| Casing for electronincs | Fits furniture and Infinite Bridges | Completed | |
| CAD of sides | Able to create milling math | Completed | |
| Milling sides | Able to assemble sides | Production | Completed |
| Milling holes for Asseble Parts | Lock using assemble parts | Production | Unsolveable |
| Cast feet | Fits and raises the furniture | Production | Completed |
| Design assemble part | Support the structure | Iterative Process | Completed |
| 3D print assemble parts | Fits furniture | Production | Completed |
| Alternative Asseble Part | Support the structure | Iterative Process | Not fully developed |
| 3D print assemble parts | Fits furniture | More revisions | Not fully developed |
| Assemble all parts | Combining all elements | Completed |
The biggest lesson I have (re)learned is that (almost) anything is possible, as long as you accept a messy journey, are persistent and able to nuture yourself and most importantly the people around you.
The tables below lists the parts needed to produce respectively one basic furniture module, one integrateable electronics module and for ease on reading for the componets required to produce an Infinite Bridge board.
| QTY | Part Description | Materials | Supply | Price (each) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Sides | 18mm Plywood | Hardware store | 3.50 USD | 17.50 USD |
| 4 | Feet | PMC-780 | FormX | 0.40 USD | 1.60 USD |
| 8 | Assemble Part | PLA Filament | RS Components | 0.30 USD | 2.40 USD |
| Total | 21.50 USD | ||||
| QTY | Part Description | Materials | Supply | Price (each) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Case | 3mm MDF | Kitronik | 1.00 USD | 1.00 USD |
| 1 | Front | Acrylic | Kitronik | 1.50 USD | 1.50 USD |
| 1 | Serial Connection | FTDI Cable | DigiKey | 19.00 USD | 19.00 USD |
| 1 | Computer | Raspberry Pi 3 | Adafruit.com | 35.00 USD | 35.00 USD |
| Total | 56.50 USD | ||||
It is worth mentioning that the Raspberry Pi and the FTDI cable accounts for most (54 USD) of the cost of the entire furniture.
These parts are required in this early version, but it will be possible (and more practical) to connect directly to a network by adding WiFi-module.
This would make the Raspberry Pi and FTDI-cable unnecesseary - and significantly reduce the cost of the project.
| QTY | Part Description | Materials | Supply | Price (each) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FTDI Male Connector | S1011EC-40-ND | FabLab Inventory | 0.10 USD | 0.10 USD |
| 1 | FTDI Female Connector | SAM1213-50-ND | FabLab Inventory | 0.45 USD | 0.45 USD |
| 1 | Attiny45 | ATTINY45V-10SU-ND | FabLab Inventory | 1.23 USD | 1.23 USD |
| 1 | IPS Header | 609-5161-1-ND | FabLab Inventory | 0.60 USD | 0.60 USD |
| 1 | 1uF Capacitor | 445-1423-1-ND | FabLab Inventory | 0.07 USD | 0.07 USD |
| 1 | Green LED | 160-1169-1-ND | FabLab Inventory | 0.15 USD | 0.15 USD |
| 1 | Red LED | 160-1167-1-ND | FabLab Inventory | 0.10 USD | 0.10 USD |
| 1 | 10k Ohm Resistor | 311-10.0KFRCT-ND | FabLab Inventory | 0.01 USD | 0.01 USD |
| 1 | 1k Ohm Resistor | 311-1.00KFRCT-ND | FabLab Inventory | 0.01 USD | 0.01 USD |
| 3 | 0 Ohm Resistor | 311-0.0ERCT-ND | FabLab Inventory | 0.01 USD | 0.03 USD |
| 1/8 | Circuit Board | Single sided FR1 | FabLab Inventory | 1 USD | 0.12 USD |
| Total | 2.87 USD | ||||
| QTY | Part Description | Price (each) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic Furniture Module | 21.50 USD | 21.50 USD |
| 1 | Integrateable Electronics Module | 21.62 USD | 21.62 USD |
| 6 | Components for Infinite Bridge | 2.75 USD | 16.50 USD |
| Total | 95.62 USD | ||
Part prices are estimated based on expected material utilization and procurement for +20 modules.
