Lift-Bit was created by Carlo Ratti and is made up of several modules that can be rearranged
Submitted at Apr 20, 2016, 2:42 PM
Carlo Ratti , founder of MIT's Senseable City lab, has created a sofa called the Lift-Bit that he unveiled at this year'sSalone del Mobile in Milan . The piece is described as the world's first digitally transformable sofa.
The design of the sofa is not like the usual ones. It is made up of several hexagonal poufs that, when combined, form a honeycomb. Each module, designed in partnership with the Swiss company Vitra, contains a motor that self-adjusts the height of the unit, which is controlled by an app, or by sensors that respond to the seat's movements. The furniture can be configured as a traditional sofa, a series of sofas, a chaise longue, or a bed.
Ratti created Lift-Bit with the professionals at his Turin, Italy, studio, Carlo Ratti Associati . But it is an outgrowth of ideas he studied at MIT. The lab seeks to explore how technology can transform the physical world. The sofa represents one way a built piece can respond to a person and be more flexible to different needs. The Lift-Bit is available for pre-order now for $900.
