For the past year, IKEA and Rebel Agency have secretly been developing an external innovation lab called Space10 and tomorrow this future-living lab and exhibition space is opening its doors in the heart of Copenhagen. The project is the brainchild of Torbjörn Lööf (the CEO of Inter IKEA Systems), Carla Cammilla Hjort and Simon Caspersen; their mission is to explore solutions for a smarter and more sustainable living through a series of labs which each involve workshops, pitch nights, design residencies, exhibitions, and collaborative projects.
The first Space10 exhibition “The Fresh Living Lab” will, among other things, showcase the works by a group of emerging designers who were invited to create 6 prototypes of everyday objects that would encourage better choices for the environment or your personal health. Among the designs was a table that charges your phone by turning heat into electricity, and a chair that rewards you for exercising.
Have a look at some images of these prototypes as well as images of the space and a video below!
Sergey Komardenkov and Vihanga Gore created “Heat Harvest” during a two-week workshop. Heat Harvest is a device that can either stand alone or be integrated into household items, like this table above, to capture wasted heat from our everyday objects and turn it into free, green electricity to use in your home.
Liliana Lambriev and Melina Pyykkönen from the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID) created “Clunes” a smart chair which tracks your movements through your mobile device. If you return home and the chair knows you haven’t moved around very much it will raise up and suggest you don’t sit down. I actually find the passive aggressive vibe of this chair idea hilarious. Apparently sitting for more than 6 hours per day is as bad for you as smoking a pack of cigarettes everyday.
“Vayu” was created by Manu Dixit and Akshay Verma. It attaches to windows throughout a home and detects indoor and outdoor air quality. The device then opens and closes windows to regulate air quality, closing up when outdoor pollution levels are too high.
