Lift-Bit

Lift-Bit is a Carlo Ratti Associati and OpenDot project consisting of an upholstered, modular and reconfigurable seat that exploits Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies to define a new living experience. 

Inspired by the visions of an "environmental bubble" outlined in the essay "A Home is not a House" by Reyner Banham and François Dallegret, Lift-Bit's prototype was created from the combination of a series of stools, each containing a linear actuator inside that allows the seats to be raised or lowered. The furniture system can be controlled in person, by moving a hand in the air above the stools, or digitally, through an app. In both cases, the movements of the individual base elements, which can double or halve their height, reconfigure the space in a potentially infinite number of combinations. 

The application, which allows Lift-Bit remote management, includes predetermined furniture settings and a tool for designing new combinations. The interaction design project challenge was given by two factors related to the engineering complexity: cost and time. Using digital fabrication, the OpenDot and Dotdotdot team’s knowledge and prototyping skills allowed the creation of “in-house” prototypes. The process innovation lies in the ability to hybridise technologies and skills, more specifically in the “misuse” of an existing and reliable technology, linear actuators programmed and controlled using Arduino. This guarantees savings of resources, time and costs that would otherwise be impossible.