Technology advances in the blink of an eye – while many are obsessed with the latest high-tech devices, let’s not forget that low-tech innovation can also be revolutionary. ECAL students Damien Ludi and Colin Peillex have created a brilliant “Rocking Knit” chair that uses kinetic energy generated from the chair’s gliding motion to knit a winter hat while you sit! The pair unveiled the multitasking rocker at ECAL‘s ‘Low-Tech Factory’ exposition during Designers’ Saturday in Langenthal, Switzerland.
The Rocking Knit chair was created by Lausanne Damien Ludi and Colin Peillex, students at the ECAL University of Art and Design. At first glance, the chair looks a lot like a porch swing or glider chair. Settle into the comfy seat, and you’ll find that it takes little effort to rock back and forth. While you become engrossed in your book or phone conversation, something magical is happening above your head. The chair’s to-and-fro motion turns gears in the frame above your head, activating low-tech machinery that draws yarn up from a spool beneath the seat. As you enjoy a rare moment of relaxation, the Rocking Knit goes to work, knitting a winter hat that soon begins to emerge right above your head!