Rochus Jacob’s Murakami Chair: The Energy Generating Rocker
By Jenny Rector on Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Murakami Chair. Designed by Rochus Jacob.
Relaxation and rocking chairs coincide, at least in my world. Imagine being able to generate energy through such a low-key, non-exhaustive activity. Designed by Rochus Jacob, the Murakami Chair uses energy generated from its own rocking motion to power the attached reading lamp through nano-dynamo technology built into the skids of the chair. Kinetic energy becomes electricity, enabling relaxation and good conscience to exist simultaneously.
The simple, wooden rocking chair is marked by the pole attached to its back. The ultra-efficient OLED lamp (shaped like a lampshade) makes good use of the enery created - and eliminates the need for an end table. The Chair’s OLED lamp even senses when it’s light or dark out, storing energy generated during the day in a battery pack. The onl“I was looking for opportunities to generate energy through activities we naturally do.” The designer explains. “The final result is a rocking chair that enables the user to experience production and consumption of electricity in a gentle and rewarding way. An abstract process becomes tangible and eventually cultivates natural awareness. Complexity is covered by simplicity.”
Rochus Jacob designed this interesting take on a Murakami rocking chair. Attached to the back of the chair is an OLED lamp on a pole. Now that’s not a lampshade you’re seeing in the picture- that’s the actual lamp itself- it’s shaped like a lampshade! The light is powered by kinetic energy from the power of you rocking the chair. It’s just a design concept since I (non-scientifically, natch) believe that simply rocking a chair would not really produce enough energy to produce much light, even if it was a highly efficient OLED light. But maybe I just don’t rock hard enough.
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Lovely chair … errr rock on !