The Sleeper Steel chair is constructed using sienna treated pine and a flat steel bar which is bent into shape to provide both aesthetics and structural support. Starting from simple sketches, the chair was built using standard ergonomic dimensions for the height and depth of the seat to provide comfort and back support.
This chair was part of a larger project to change the way students use study spaces. An Arduino with sensors was connected under the frame of the seat to detect when a student was seated or standing. If a student sits on the chair, a Processing animation (video below) begins to play which encouraged the student to get up. The overall message of the animation was to inform users of the dangers of sedentary behaviour.
The chair progressed from simple sketches to more rough drawings with dimensions before constructing. The sketches, although rough, provided enough detail to guide the manufacturing process which was completed by hand. Ergonomic standards for seat depth and backrest height were used to ensure the chair would be functional.
Video example of sitting (top) and standing (bottom) animations
Process diary of the construction of the chair