Skip to content
The Ariel Scaun by Turner Osler and Lex Osler

The Ariel Scaun by Turner Osler and Lex Osler is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award de Bronz in Design de Mobilier Competition Category.


BronzMobilier· 2020

The Ariel Scaun

by Turner Osler and Lex Osler

Client: Qor360

A' Design Award de Bronz Winner in Mobilier Category

14,769

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #92125

Colors

The Design

About The Ariel Scaun

Ariel este un scaun de birou conceput pentru șederea activă. Șezutul se balansează în toate direcțiile pe un solid geometric brevetat, astfel încât mișcarea este posibilă fără piese mobile. Suporturile din cauciuc unesc șezutul de balansoar și limitează amplitudinea de balansare. Un cilindru pe gaz asigură reglarea înălțimii și rotația pe o bază din aluminiu. Balansoarul este realizat din policarbonat turnat prin injecție, iar șezutul este tapițat cu piele cusută manual. Scaunul cântărește 8,16 kg, iar în spătar este integrat un mâner pentru transport. Obiectivul este de a angaja musculatura centrală a corpului, de a îmbunătăți postura și de a reduce durerile de spate.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronz

The Ariel Scaun a câștigat A' Design Award de Bronz, o recunoaștere extrem de prestigioasă acordată designurilor remarcabile care se disting prin creativitate, ingeniozitate și istețime. Câștigătorii Bronzului sunt artefacte din plin pricepute și izbitor de creative, care atestă experiența vastă, imaginația și resursele designerilor lor. Se așteaptă ca The Ariel Scaun să fie un obiect foarte apreciat, admirat și prețuit, remarcabil de profesionist și inovator. Acest design câștigător al A' Design Award de Bronz încorporează cele mai bune practici din artă, știință, design și tehnologie și este excelent prin atenția la detalii. The Ariel Scaun satisface splendid nevoile, atinge dorințele, vrăjește sentimentele și stârnește curiozitatea.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
The patented rocking mechanism lets the seat move in all directions effortlessly. It feels like floating. However the crux of the design is there are no moving pieces. It's all done with a unique geometric solid that took Dr. Osler over a year to develop. By letting the seat move, the chair engages the core, improves posture, and relieves back pain.
Dimensions & Packaging
508-685.8 mm height adjustability. 495.3 mm star base. seat 330.2 mm x 228.6 mm with small back height of 165.1 mm
weight: 8.16kg
Tags
chair, active sitting, posture, core, back pain, movement, qor360, Dr. Turner Osler, move while you sit, effortless, geometric solid, patented
Production Technology
injection molded polycarbonate rocker, hand stitched leather upholstery, 1in rubber motor mounts for bumpers, office chair parts: level 4 gas cylinder and aluminum base. Dipped red nylon handle. CNC cut Baltic birch painted with non-toxic black finish.
Design Challenge
The hardest part of this design was making it affordable. It would be easy to make an insanely complex mechanism and spare no expense, but to make it as simple and affordably as possible, this is another challenge entirely. The Ariel was successfully completed to be manufactured at scale for a reasonable price. And the mechanism is the simplest for a chair that moves directly underneath the seat.
Research
2,500 people have purchased the chair and use it daily. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. People have said everything from, they don't feel stiff after sitting in the chair for hours, to it cured their back pain. Others have commented it improves their posture and helps with certain medical conditions (arthritis, scoliosis, disk herniation ...)
Inspiration
Dr. Turner Osler MD, the inventor, was a trauma surgeon for over 30 years, he is now an emeritus professor at the University of Vermont where he does epidemiologic research. He was dogged by constant back pain when he moved to a desk job and he also saw that sitting was an immense health problem. Prolonged sitting increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer. The rate of back pain in America is over 80%. Dr. Osler set out to find a solution for both sitting disease and back pain and designed the Ariel chair. By allowing the seat to move in all directions, he injected effortless movement into the seating experience.
Project Duration
Project was started in 2016 and is continuing to evolve each year. It was designed in Colchester Vermont USA.
Operation Flow
The unique rocking mechanism is a geometric solid. The seat is attached to the rocker with rubber connectors. There are no moving parts, the seat rocks in all directions on the geometric solid thus letting you move while you sit. The rubber mounts merely keep the chair from falling apart, and the 1in rubber mounts on the back and sides limit the rocking range and keep people from rocking too far backwards or sideways. The gas cylinder provides rotation and elevation. There is a handle designed into the back which you can carry the chair with, which is easy because it is only 15lbs. There are hand holds cut into the underside of the seat which allows for a handle to pull the chair forward or sideways when sitting in it.
Patents
Patented. Patent No.: US 10,010,758 B2. Osler et al. Jul. 3, 2018
Trademark. Reg. No. 5,560,171. Registered Sep. 11, 2018. Int. Cl.: 20
Trademark. Reg. No. 5,574,091. Registered Oct. 02, 2018. Int. Cl.: 20
Team Members
Dr. Turner Osler MD
Lex Osler
Image Credits
Main Image #1. Scott Brightwell Photography
Optional Image #1. Scott Brightwell Photography
Optional Image #2. Scott Brightwell Photography

Sponsored

Explore Beyond Designers.org

Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.

Good Design Deserves Great Recognition

The A' Design Award is an international, juried accolade for good design. Take part in the A' Design Award to get an opportunity to earn meritocratic recognition, gain fame, prestige and publicity for your work. Nominate your work for the A' Design Award and compete for the coveted A' Design Prize.

Nominate