eCommerceNews New Zealand - Technology news for digital commerce decision-makers
Furniture app transforms tiny apartments
Fri, 15th Jul 2016
FYI, this story is more than a year old

A housing crisis in full swing and a population that won't stop growing, it's a wonder something like this hasn't been done sooner.

With Ori, jam packing grandma and the kids into a 30mapartment has never looked so stylish.

Based on an experimental project from the Massachusetts​ institute of Technology, the Ori system allows an apartment dweller to transform a studio apartment into the equivalent of a one-bedroom "home".

It is through architectural robotics that Ori systems unlock the potential of the places we live in.

Using a modular motorised method, the Ori system delivers a full-sized bed, a living room space with bookshelves and a couch or an office space with a full-sized desk space. All in one seamless package.

Ori is derived from 'origami' the Japanese art of folding paper to create beautiful and remarkable objects. Ori Systems believe that like its namesake, Ori is a prefix for something magical to come.

According to Ori Systems, the design operates using sleek, touch-sensitive control panels located on the outer edge of the furniture module. Motion sensors detect when the user is near the control panel and illuminate a minimalist array of interface icons.

Across the road having a coffee but need to rearrange the apartment? No worries, the Ori app is accessible remotely.

The first Ori systems are expected to be introduced by developers in Boston, Washington, D.C., and Seattle. No word for this side of the world just yet, but we are definitely going to need it.