Do you live in a small apartment? If you answered with a yes then you are well aware of how frustrating it is to adjust the basic furniture in your tiny apartment. However, researchers from MIT have created a peculiar piece of furniture which, as it turns out, is the only furniture you will need for your small apartment. The furniture is “smart” and can be operated with gestures and voice. It transforms as per user’s instructions into a bed, a kitchen table or can even move in order to lengthen your bathroom.
Researchers Kent Larson and Hasier Larrea at MIT say; ‘We demonstrate how the CityHome, which has a very small footprint (840 square feet), can function as an apartment two to three times that size. This is achieved through a transformable wall system which integrates furniture, storage, exercise equipment, lighting, office equipment, and entertainment systems.’
The gadget is being called CityHome and can be transformed into a myriad of other things based on user preferences. The bedroom can be converted into a gym whereas the living room can be transformed into a dinner party space for 14 people or a suite for 4 guests. You could also transform it into a 2 offices, separate, with a meeting place.
The prototype that has been shown in the video is basically a mechanical box which supports a bed, dining table, kitchen counter, cooking range, a closet and multi-purpose storage. The idea is to provide all the basic needs related to furniture within this mechanical box. The box can, in fact, move upon user’s command for a few feet.
According to Larson; ‘CityHome isn’t just a concept, but a viable product’ and that he has plans to bring it to the market either through sponsorship or as a separate startup. Check out the youtube video below for more: