Health & Wellbeing

Chairless Chair is the chair that you wear

Chairless Chair is the chair that you wear
noonee's senior partners model the Chairless Chair
noonee's senior partners model the Chairless Chair
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noonee's senior partners model the Chairless Chair
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noonee's senior partners model the Chairless Chair
Worn as an exoskeleton on the back of the legs, the Chairless Chair lets you walk or even run as needed, but can be locked into a supporting structure when you go into a sitting position
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Worn as an exoskeleton on the back of the legs, the Chairless Chair lets you walk or even run as needed, but can be locked into a supporting structure when you go into a sitting position
Now in prototype form and being actively marketed, the device utilizes a powered variable damper to support the wearer's body weight
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Now in prototype form and being actively marketed, the device utilizes a powered variable damper to support the wearer's body weight
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If you work somewhere such as a factory, warehouse, or restaurant kitchen, then you'll know how tiring it can be to stand for several hours at a time. Unfortunately, however, it isn't always practical or safe to carry a stool around with you wherever you go. That's why Swiss start-up noonee has created the Chairless Chair. Worn as an exoskeleton on the back of the legs, it lets you walk or even run as needed, but can be locked into a supporting structure when you go into a sitting position.

Company CEO Keith Gunura started developing the Chairless Chair in 2009, when he was a student in the Bioinspired Robotics Lab at the ETH Zurich research institute. He was inspired to do so by memories of his first job, in which he worked while standing at a packaging line.

Now in prototype form and being actively marketed, the device utilizes a powered variable damper to support the wearer's body weight. The user simply bends their knees to get themselves down to the level at which they'd like to sit, and then engages the damper. The Chairless Chair then locks into that configuration, directing their weight down to the heels of their shoes, to which it is attached – it also attaches to the thighs via straps, and to the waist using a belt.

Now in prototype form and being actively marketed, the device utilizes a powered variable damper to support the wearer's body weight
Now in prototype form and being actively marketed, the device utilizes a powered variable damper to support the wearer's body weight

Plans call for the commercial model to weigh 2 kg (4.4 lb), and to be able to operate for at least eight hours on one charge of its 9-volt battery. There's no word on an estimated price.

"At the moment we are getting a lot of interest and e-mails from all kinds of people who want to use the Chairless Chair in very different areas: factories, film industry (photographers and camera men), medical, agricultural (harvesting and gardening), hiking, and a lot others," noonee CFO Olga Motovilova told us. "Our focus at the moment is factory environments."

More information is available in the following video.

Source: noonee via CNN

Noonee - The Chairolution

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12 comments
12 comments
Stephen N Russell
mass produce, awesome, for every warehouse & production plant alone, distrib center, lab, etc, Lisc & produce.
Seajet
This is a very interesting device. If it ever reaches mass production, it may become affordable. In the meantime, it will be out of reach for the people it is being addressed at. Low paid laborers working in factories.
Jay Finke
Just Great, I can see it now, all of the Casselberry city workers are going to have these, paid for with our tax dollars. and Post office employees will be next OR first in line.
esecallum
This is the dumbest idea ever.Can you seriously see people wearing this at work or anywhere.It make look them like dweebs..Seriously I Nearly died laughing when I saw this.
Snake Oil Baron
Can't tell you how often at work people think "I should go get a chair" but they would rather put up with the strain than waste time getting one and putting it back. Filing, stocking low shelves, searching through storage boxes, fixing something, etc. I wouldn't care how weird it looked to anyone, I would just claim to be a cyborg and let them laugh their aching butts off.
Snake Oil Baron
Seriously, if you saw someone stocking shelves wearing knee pads would you burst out laughing? If so there would be more people laughing at you than at the guy with pads. This is just a bit more elaborate; a few straps and some brace like things. If the pants were a similar colour to the straps it would be hard to see at any distance.
If I saw someone on the street wearing it my first thought would be that it was a medical brace or something and when I was told what it was I would be more impressed than amused. If people can wear pants down around their knees, knowing that everyone outside their limited social group thinks they look like an idiot, people will easily wear something as useful as a chair.
Ataraxian Eleftherian
I see a clear synergy with another equally amazing productivity invention. http://youtu.be/n_1apYo6-Ow?t=18s
Wombat56
Good idea for people in warehouses, trades people etc.
Who cares what it looks like if it works? But it would have been nice if Gizmag had included a photo taken from the rear, without the chicks long obscuring hair.
Aloysius
This is meant to be a device to wear during work, not for general purpose everyday wear. If you've been working (wearing the noonee), and need to step outside to go the the bank, grab a bite/ a smoke/ some coffee, then you take them off first. Simple.
Gregg Eshelman
Next step, springs like Chelle in Portal.
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