From the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) comes a new PARTICULAR vision of that could be the furniture of the future: the project is called “Transform” and promises to change the shape and the ‘sense’ of your furniture, consisting of components able to change shape and, ultimately, to transform their appearance.
Development have dealt with the Tangible Media Group at MIT and Professor Hiroshi Ishii: the first prototype was shown at Lexus Design Award 2014 in Milan.
The Transform design is inspired by the natural elements and specifically to the movement of water, wind and sand.
Transform uses three “Dynamic Shape Displays”, composed of 1000 movable pins: a series of sensors, integrated in the mobile, detects movements made in the proximity of moving parts and provides for guiding the dowels, modifying the appearance of the cabinet itself.
The transformation at the moment is very basic and purely aesthetic: there are no major structural changes or changes to the intended use. In the future, however, with further advanced versions, you can think of furniture that, though born with a certain appearance and function, prove capable of becoming completely different products.
The MIT describes Transform as a technology capable of bringing dynamism to static objects, such as components of modern furniture.
Source: Corriere delle Comunicazioni