(2018 - 2019 undergraduate project)
A lightweight leisure chair inspired by a curiosity with weightlessness.
It's good for indoors or outdoors.
The lightweight carbon-fiber construction is easy to move around, easy to clean, and easy to relax in.
The lightweight carbon-fiber construction is easy to move around, easy to clean, and easy to relax in.
A review of existing solutions uncovered pain points to be improved upon:
Helium aims to blend material and form with utility and function to create a more enduring and user-friendly solution.
Form inspirations were influenced by the intended manufacturing process of open-molded carbon fiber, with ease of manufacture, high strength, ease of portability, and expressive quality as primary drivers for the design.
I felt it should look relaxed, yet poised and robust.
This foam comfort model was used to help determine a comfortable form factor for a range of users, and define the final surface design.
Several digital prototypes were developed before the final form was realized.
A two-piece structure ultimately seemed to offer the best results. Both parts are designed with accommodation for draft so that they may be produced with single-part molds. A high-strength epoxy resin bonds the parts together.
Smooth, flowing curves and generous radii lend style and strength to the fiber-composite structure.
Tooling/Alpha Prototype:
3D-printed tools were used to create heat-resistant fiberglass molds.
The alpha prototype weighs in at 3.3lb and has been successfully tested with users up to 225lb.
