Melding old traditions with new technologies, the Rocking Knit is an adorable contraption. It is a rocking chair that knits. Although that sounds like something straight out of a cartoon, it is a real-life creation. It uses the minimal energy of the act of rocking in order to power the knitting mechanics. As the sitter rocks, he or she is essentially making a hat as well.
The Rocking Knit was designed by Damien Ludi and Colin Peillex. It was conceived as part of a project for Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne‘s Low-Tech Factory, a workshop encouraging students from the industrial design program to invent simple machines that at once create an experience and a material good. It's an exceptionally playful task.
Knitting Rocking Chairs
Rocking Knit Creates a Hat as a Person Rocks in the Chair
Trend Themes
1. Low-tech Inventions - Creating simple machines combining experience and material good
2. Energy-generating Knitting - Using bodily movements to generate power for knitting
3. Playful Design - Incorporating whimsy and play into functional objects
Industry Implications
1. Furniture Design - Innovative furniture designs combining functionality and creativity
2. Textile Manufacturing - Integrating sustainable and energy-generating techniques into textile production
3. Educational Workshops - Providing hands-on, playful learning experiences for students to invent and create