Initial Research
For my informal research, I started with an Instagram account I follow which highlights the works of various student and professional designers.
https://www.instagram.com/design_burger/?hl=en
However, this page mostly focused on product design, so I went to the accounts that design_burger was following to find some other sources for research. I then found the account of a Los Angeles based design studio called Estudio Persona
https://www.estudiopersona.com/
https://www.instagram.com/estudiopersona/?hl=en
When looking through their website and collections, I saw this bench (white on right of image). The bench is CNC’d foam and upholstered fabric, so it is probably quite rigid. From the description of the product:
“A playful exaggeration of the circle is rendered in a cartoon like bench, overstuffed and pushed to the limits, while simultaneously exploring the depths that can be created while circular forms flow inward and fall into themselves. Smooth white upholstery suggests the liquid flow of air in constant movement.”
From the description, I believe the designer was aiming to convey softness and movement in an object that is rigid or static at the least. The round shape and receding curves into the two holes seem to invite the user into it.
Alternative Expressions with Soft Technologies
I believe the soft and inviting nature of this bench can be conveyed even more effectively by utilizing soft technology. The bench could conform to the user who is laying or sitting on it, and could even rise and fall slightly as if breathing. This would evoke a natural comfort. The bench could also actuate similar to the soft silicone arms we have seen in class so that the angle of the bench could increase for a user laying or sitting on it, to provide back support.
I imagine an entire room of soft kinetic furniture, which is breathing as if the room was an organism, similar to the Zerg in Starcraft, but less frightening.
Research: Soft curvature sensors for joint angle proprioception
R. K. Kramer, C. Majidi, R. Sahai and R. J. Wood, “Soft curvature sensors for joint angle proprioception,” 2011 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2011, pp. 1919-1926, doi: 10.1109/IROS.2011.6094701.
This paper describes a soft sensor composed of a thin elastomer film with liquid metal channels and a sensing element inside. When the curvature of the sensor changes, the liquid metal exerts pressure on a mirco-channel, which is sensitive to changes in cross-sectional area. The change in cross-sectional area corresponds to a change in electrical resistance.
This technology could be used to sense the user’s interaction with the bench; as the user sits or lays down, the curvature sensors would be able to sense the shape of the person’s body and adapt the shape of the bench accordingly. The benefit of using these soft sensors is that it would not disrupt the soft nature of the bench as a traditional sensor would. In general this sensor enables interactive and fully soft art, ranging from displays to reactive wearable garments.