Robotic Furniture: The Latest Solution For Compact Living
As cities become more and more populated and rent prices continue to skyrocket, many of us are being forced to seek out smaller living spaces. Still, a small apartment doesn’t necessarily need to mean cramped and uncomfortable living quarters. After all, the internet is already awash with information on how to successfully maximize your space, and furniture outlets like IKEA have everything you might need to deck out your small home with tastefully designed furniture.
But sometimes IKEA and a Pinterest board are not enough, and as people living in the 21st century, all of us want some kind of smart convenience in our homes. So, just as things like vacuum cleaners and sound systems have done for us in the past, technologically-advanced furniture units are now stepping up to the plate to take some of the hard work out of everyday life. One such innovation is Ori, a modular system that makes compact living quarters a lot more enjoyable.
The Ori Studio Suite is a responsive furniture system that gives you more space and flexibility within the confines of your studio apartment. The product’s website reads: “Guided by the principal that interior space, particularly in high-density urban innovation centers around the world, has become too expensive to be static and unresponsive, Ori’s breakthrough innovation, technology, and design create dynamic environments that act and feel as though they are substantially larger.” The name of the unit comes from the word “origami,” recalling the ways that paper can be folded in and back on itself to make something completely new.
Ori is voice activated, capable of being controlled via a mobile app or a smart home hub like the Amazon Alexa. At the push of a button, the system sets about completing everyday tasks for you (such as making the bed), but it can also be instructed to move itself from one part of the room to another, creating new room arrangements and freeing up space to entertain, exercise, and work. The system comes with a few different presets, including “Bed Mode,” which releases a full-sized bed from one side of the unit, “Lounge Mode,” which pushes the entire unit to one side of the room to give you more space to spread out and relax, and “Wardrobe Mode,” which allows you to easily access to the system’s built-in wardrobe and shelving units whenever you need a fresh change of clothes. Each Ori also comes with a slide-out desk, allowing you to comfortably work from home.
Depending on the size of your apartment, you can order either a full or queen-sized Ori system. The former boasts a full-sized media credenza for your TV and audio equipment, while the Queen-sized model incorporates a few smaller elements to allow it to fit into a more compact space.
“[Apartment] units are getting smaller and smaller,” says Maria Masi, the Senior Vice President of Development for Brookfield Properties. “You use your space differently throughout the day. You effectively don’t need a separate bedroom anymore.” It appears that the smart future of our interiors has indeed arrived.
