Judging a book by its cover
The galloping technological development of recent years has impacted our lives in countless ways, many we’ve quickly become accustomed to. For example, the advantages of a smartphone, once considered very progressive, are often viewed as ordinary from today’s perspective. Still, in our vastly technological world there are things that seem to have retained much of their traditional features, and furniture is definitely one of them.
Ladeco electric desk, photo: promo materials Tables, chairs and other objects of the sort have the same basic functions they have had for ages and many of the newest furniture designs are similar in shape to those well-known from the past. However, as we all know, judging a book by its cover can be misleading. Nowadays a piece of furniture, even one that isn’t futuristically styled, can pack cutting-edge technology that adds new functions or enhances existing ones. Here we take a look at three modern furniture designs from Poland that use technology to a specific end: making your workspace a more efficient and pleasant place.
Navigo Smart
This office chair wirelessly connects with a smartphone or computer to provide various data concerning its users. It comes with four pressure sensors in the seat and two in the back, as well as a gyroscope and accelerometer that keep track of your posture while you sit in it. Equipped with a microcomputer as well, Navigo Smart tells you how to sit properly, that is, in a way that’s healthy for your back, wrists, etc. It informs you about your position as you go about your day, helping you generate good sitting habits. The seat also provides statistics of desk occupancy rates which can be used to arrange an office’s layout efficiently. It even checks the room temperature, a condition that has a big influence on people’s performance at work.
Navigo Smart, photo: promo materials Smartly designed to provide comfort and ease of movement, the chair is manufactured by one of Poland’s leading furniture company’s Grupa Nowy Styl. You may have already encountered their seats – they were used in the stadium stands of last year’s Euro football tournament in France.
VANK_wall
A piece of furniture, or an interior object if you will, whose technological advancement lies not in its electronics (it has none), but in its make-up. VANK_wall is a mobile acoustic screen that lets you create your personalised comfort zone within a larger space. However, unlike many other things that let you separate yourself from the world, it takes into account the impact your seclusion has on the bigger picture. Namely, VANK_wall is made from bio-degradable wool and recycled aluminium that can be re-processed again if necessary.
VANK_wall, photo: promotional materials Apart from being eco-friendly, VANK_wall is also quite progressive as the manufacture of aluminium furniture poses a big engineering challenge (it requires specific know-how and machinery) which is why only a handful of European companies take it up. Specially designed to stimulate creativeness with its asymmetrical surface, the wall comes as an on-floor screen, a table-top screen or as a booth. Last year it won its Polish producer, VANK, the prestigious iF design award.
Ladeco electric desk
At first glance it looks like a tasteful, but ordinary office table without any special features. That impression fades the moment you put your hand on the logo of its manufacturer, Ladeco, in one of the desktop’s corners. Touching it causes the table to smoothly start lowering itself. If you touch the bottom of the desktop in the same corner, it will go upward. This nifty height adjustability isn’t just meant to amuse, it lets you work standing or sitting at the table.
Ladeco electric desk, photo: promo materials Changing your position now and again when working an office job is recommended for health reasons, precisely what the table enables you to do with great ease and without leaving your work unattended. Ladeco, a Polish company with ties to the Pomeranian Science and Technology Park in the city of Gdynia, an organisation which facilitates the growth of innovative businesses, has called its design simply ‘electric desk’. Apart from the touch-operated version, models controlled by an ergonomic panel and a smartphone are also available.
Author: Marek Kępa, Jan 2017