The Ariel 椅子 by Turner Osler and Lex Osler

The Ariel 椅子 by Turner Osler and Lex Osler is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award 銅獎 in 傢俱設計 Competition Category.

銅傢俱· 2020

The Ariel 椅子

by Turner Osler and Lex Osler

Client: Qor360

A' Design Award 銅獎 Winner in 傢俱 Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About The Ariel 椅子

Ariel係一張為主動坐姿而設計嘅辦公椅。座位可以喺一個獲專利嘅幾何實體上向唔同方向擺動,唔需要任何活動部件就可以實現擺動效果。橡膠接口將座位同搖擺底座連接,並限制擺動嘅幅度。氣壓棒可以喺鋁合金底座上調節高度同旋轉角度。搖擺底座由射出成型聚碳酸酯製成,座位則以手工縫製皮革包裹。呢張椅重8.16公斤,椅背內置手柄方便搬運。設計目標係鍛煉核心肌群、改善坐姿,並減少背部疼痛。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 銅獎

The Ariel 椅子是 A' Design Award 銅獎得主，這是授予以創造力、獨創性和敏銳見長的傑出設計的極具聲望的認可。銅獎得主是技藝嫻熟、創意驚人的作品，印證了其設計師豐富的經驗、想像力與機智。預計The Ariel 椅子將成為一件備受推崇、令人欽佩且被珍愛的物品，兼具顯著的專業性與創新性。這件贏得 A' Design Award 銅獎的設計融入藝術、科學、設計和技術領域的最佳實踐，並因注重細節而出類拔萃。The Ariel 椅子出色地滿足需求，觸動渴望，迷住情感，並吸引好奇心。

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