Chairless Chair
noonee, Switzerland
2018
contribution to the project:
Research
Industrial design
photography
The Chairless Chair® is a flexible wearable ergonomic sitting support ideal for manufacturing companies, whose workers are required to stand for long time periods or where traditional sitting is not possible. This high in comfort and efficiency exoskeleton sitting support solves a two-fold problem at factory workplaces.
With the Chairless Chair®, workers can walk while wearing the sitting support, without obstructing the workspace as well as avoid strenuous postures such as bending, squatting or crouching.
Companies can not only improve the ergonomic environment for their employees by improving body posture but also prevent any occupational health & safety challenges by offering age-appropriate working conditions for their ageing employees.
01. Method
From Conception to Creation: the seamless synergy and collaboration of design and engineering
Our team started brainstorming How to create a passive exoskeleton that is ergonomic and easy to use . We then progressed to the testing stage, where we started with testing the most promising ideas. Each idea was not only tested by our team but also validated by real users from various car factories. Through an intense elimination process, we found the perfect hybrid of realistic and revolutionary passive lower body exoskeleton
Our hands-on and human-centric approach has resulted in a market-moving innovative product, designed and developed in an impressively short time.
02. Process
Decision Matrices of Design, Function & Testing: the process to guaranteeing an ergonomic high-fidelity prototype
Our human-centric design process included a series of decision matrices to ensure the right solutions were chosen at each stage. The planning process centered around, functionality, user experience and sizing of the exoskeleton while the testing process focused on user-experience that ensured the product would be accepted, used, and appreciated by factory workers. 3D-printing was used to make and test many models and iterations. These prototypes versions were tested at Audi and BMW facilities and the final model was eventually engineered by Zuhlke, a renowned Swiss engineering company.
03. Results
An ergonomic reference in the exoskeletons market
Due to crunch test-time as well as wide and vigorous testing, our high-quality product the Chairless chair was is unique, with no rivals or similar products at the time of its launch. A The project, which began with a complex fragments approach, including such as electronics, sensors, and complicated advanced manufacturing techniques using carbon fiber and titanium 3d printing was simplified over at each stage.
Choosing regular office chairs as a point of reference for our exoskeleton structure, lent ample knowledge, techniques, and ideas.
Both information from this parallel office chairs market and ergonomic studies were essential for this project. Unlike pre-existing products for our industry, our highly innovative product the project emphasized automotive inspired aesthetics inventive design combined with large range of adaptability as well as an ergonomic design and comfort features.
more information on www.noonee.com
Project highlights
blue ocean project
Market-mover, original product with no references or existing products in the market at the time of launch
ergonomic
Provides comfort, reduces muscle fatigue as well as relieves lower back pain
innovative design
Carefully and creatively engineered with an avant-garde design
human-centric
Numerous rapid prototypes and iterations efficiently tested in real-life situations for practical solutions