HygroShape Furniture Assembles Itself in a Matter of Hours
Colin Smith — February 22, 2022 — Eco
References: icd.uni-stuttgart.de & innovations-report
Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have created a set of prototypes for 'HygroShape,' a set of wooden furniture pieces that assemble themselves. HygroShape furniture, such as the standard chair, are shipped in a flat package and all customers have to do is open the package and leave the wood for a few hours. The wood will then assume the desired shape of the furniture item.
Stuttgart researchers harnessed the natural warping ability of wood to create HygroShape. When wood dries normally it warps and bends, however, these researchers found that if you manipulate the design and the parts of the wood, then you can predict exactly how the wood will change when exposed to the air. To enhance the reliability of this process and the stability of the furniture, the HygroShape pieces also come with a wooden interlocking mechanism that automatically connects when the furniture is assembled.
Image Credit: University of Stuttgart
Stuttgart researchers harnessed the natural warping ability of wood to create HygroShape. When wood dries normally it warps and bends, however, these researchers found that if you manipulate the design and the parts of the wood, then you can predict exactly how the wood will change when exposed to the air. To enhance the reliability of this process and the stability of the furniture, the HygroShape pieces also come with a wooden interlocking mechanism that automatically connects when the furniture is assembled.
Image Credit: University of Stuttgart
Trend Themes
1. Self-shaping Furniture - The concept of self-assembly and self-shaping furniture is a potential disruptive innovation opportunity for the furniture industry.
2. Material Science - The development of new materials and manipulation of existing materials to create self-shaping furniture creates a disruptive innovation opportunity for the materials science industry.
3. Sustainable Design - Self-shaping furniture made from wood, and other sustainable materials, demonstrate a disruptive innovation opportunity for the sustainable design industry.
Industry Implications
1. Furniture - The potential for self-shaping furniture disrupts the current model for the furniture industry, shifting towards more sustainable and efficient design and assembly.
2. Materials Science - The development of new materials to accommodate and manipulate self-assembly and self-shaping furniture opportunities is a disrupted innovation opportunity for the materials science industry.
3. Sustainable Design - The development of sustainable self-shaping furniture unlocks the possibilities of sustainably designed interiors, a potentially disruptive innovation within the sustainable design industry.
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