TEXTILES.ORG
Factory production lines aren’t ideal spaces for chairs; standing in one place while performing repetitive tasks isn’t a great way to maintain human comfort or health. A start-up company aiming to become a leader in wearable ergonomic, mechatronic and assistive devices, noonee AG, Rüti, Switzerland, took these two problems and found a solution.
The Chairless Chair® a wearable ergonomic sitting support that allows workers standing on a production line to sit for short time periods by pushing a button that locks the “un-chair” into the most comfortable sitting position. Users unlock the device to stand up, walk around or even run. The best part is that users balance on the Chairless Chair themselves and are still using their leg muscles.
Field testing of the chair took place at an Audi AG manufacturing plant. The co-founder and CEO of noonee, Keith Gunura, says, “With the user feedback … we are now stepping up development of the Chairless Chair to bring it to an amazing product.” The prototype was made of titanium, but noonee is working on a carbon composite version to test at a larger scale.