If there’s anything to indicate the shrinking size of living spaces, it’s the popularity of Murphy Bed posts on IKEA Hackers. Over the years, they have gone up in rankings as one of the most searched for hacks on IH.
Next:
- PAX Murphy Bed
- BILLY bookcase transform into Queen Murphy bed
- PAX Murphy Bed with sliding doors
- DIY Murphy Bed with desk
Not surprising, given the rapidly shrinking room sizes in cities.
Which is why I was very interested in the collaboration between IKEA and Ori, an American startup in the robotic furniture scene.
Robotic furniture is now
The challenge is this: “How can you utilise the square meters of your home in a better way without compromising on either function or your dreams?”
Their brainchild — ROGNAN — your bonafide robotic furniture. Billed as the solution for people with big dreams for small homes.
“We have been working with developing small space living solutions for a long time, and we know that some of the biggest challenges in peoples’ homes are storage and finding the place to do all the activities that you’d want to do in your home. This is especially the case in big cities where people have to make compromises in the functions of their homes. We wanted to change that,” says Seana Strawn, Product Developer for new innovations at IKEA of Sweden.
On one side, it houses a roll-out bed, that can be tucked under the system. On the other, a built-in sofa. In between, is the PLATSA storage combination, which also creates a room divider of sorts.
Adapting function to space
In the video demo, a 10.5 square metre (113 sq. ft.) room is easily transformed to accommodate different functions throughout the day.
At the push of a button, the system moves on wheels to transform from a living room into a bedroom. With the bed tucked in, it becomes a walk-in closet or desk space.
The ROGNAN system has built-in sensors that will halt the movement should an object or person be in the way. So, no danger of getting rolled over by your wardrobe. I’m not sure how it works in the event of a power cut though. Manual override?
I imagine people can easily change the function and look of ROGNAN with different PLATSA frames, doors and accessories. They can also move the PLATSA to another place if that’s needed, letting the product adapt to life changes. ROGNAN also works with TRÅDFRI cabinet and wardrobe smart lighting.
The first launch of ROGNAN will be in Hong Kong and Japan during 2020.
So far … netizens are excited
Over on the Instagram post @IKEAtoday.
What do your think of the IKEA ROGNAN robotic furniture? Will it work for you? Or how can IKEA further improve it to fit your needs? Let us know in the comments.
Jules is the author of IKEAHackers.net: 25 Biggest and Best Projects".
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