Final Project Proposal¶

The 2D chair - initial idea¶

This week I worked on defining my final project idea and started to getting used to the documentation process.

In modern times, the houses of people in cities have become smaller but the needs have increased.
Most of the furniture pieces in a house are not used most of the time. So why waste space?

What I propose here is a chair which transforms into a planar surface hence occupying minimum space when not in use.

Initial Idea¶

The Process of Transformation¶

Folding stage 1 : The chair when in use¶

Folding stage 2 : One member sticks to the wall¶

Folding stage 3 : The chair starts to fold into a 2d plane¶

Folding stage 4 : The chair becomes 2d occupying zero floor space¶

Input/Output Devices¶

There are proximity sensors on the sides, which are activated when the chair is in closed condition. When a human stands for 5 or more seconds next to the chair, it starts to unfold.

After this the chair can be used.

Also, the seat will have a pressure sensor. Hence, when the chair remains unused for 120 seconds, the folding starts and it comes back to its original position.

Detail drawings and dimensions¶

Joinery Detail Examples¶

Requirements¶

• The primary material will be plywood and I’ll use the CNC machine in making the chair. The initial scaled prototypes will be made using MDF using laser cutting technique.
• Certain small parts might need to be 3d printed, especially in the smaller prototypes.
• The motor which would help with collapsing the chair.
• The trigger for the transformation(Input Device).

Challenges¶

• Since the chair transforms into a flat surface, the placement and working of the machine parts will be challenging.
• When folding, the chair moves from ground to a higher level on the wall. So the motor should be able to lift weight and the chair should be as light as possible.
• Being from a design background, incorporating electronics in furniture is something which will be challenging.

Deliverables¶

• The final working prototype of the chair, manufactured using the FabLab tools and machines.
• I might add a function where the size of the seat and the backrest can change and hence the chair can be used by different user as per their needs and for different postures.
• Furthermore, in future(not in the FabAcademy duration), using multipe such furniture pieces, a small space can be used for multiple functions.

References¶

• Fab Academy final project of Ioanna Mitropoulou - 2017
• Some examples of existing folding furniture

2D chair by Dhruv Thakker