On Monday, July 11, the MIT Media Lab and designer Yves Behar of Fuseproject unveiled a new line of robotic furniture solutions called Ori.
Ori is based on technology developed by Media Lab's CityHome project. According to the online publication Curbed, Ori is the first robotic furniture system soon to be released on the market. Full product rollout is anticipated for early 2017, but the first Ori systems will be introduced this summer by developers in Seattle, Boston and Washington, D.C.
Ori, in short for origami, automate furniture concepts that can transform tiny apartments with multifunctional components and movable walls. In order to get the most out of a typically small space, when it comes to studio apartments, most often owners and renters have to sacrifice their wants for functionality and necessity.
The innovative new line of robotic furniture aims to help studio apartment owners and renters get the most out of their tiny spaces. Instead of a usual studio apartment, Ori has the capability to effectively transform the area into a one-bedroom apartment with its own office space and living room.
Behar explains in a statement that Ori allows customized materials, finishes and colors. The robotic furniture will transform studio city living in a comfortable and practical experience. Ori is not only a revolutionary solution for maximizing a studio apartment's space but also an aesthetically pleasing one.
According to Digital Trends, the company offers for now a queen system for a queen-size bed and a full system for a full-size bed. Each of them features a customizable space that can act as a cabinet, bedroom, closet, office desk or entertainment center. Colors such as dark brown, maple and white are available for each system, depending on the existing color of the owner's apartment.
Ori CEO, Hasier Larrea, explains that the new robotic furniture systems launched by the company could fundamentally alter the economics and experience of the urban environment. Ori's furniture systems allow effortless transformation of interior spaces, with the push of a button.
