For 3D Systems, it’s about showing the world what this technology can do, and there is no better man within the company to prove to the world that 3D printed furniture may actually have a future in our homes than their Creative Director, Janne Kyttanen.
Kyttanen, who, I had a chance to briefly speak with at CES this week, has been known to create very interesting pieces of art via 3D printing technology, so when he set out to create a 3D printed lounger, it was nothing new for him, as far as creativity goes.
Kyttanen’s lounger was 3D printed on 3D Systems’ ProX 950, using stereolithographic (SLA) technology. 3D Systems tells 3DPrint.com that it took a staggering 5 weeks of continuous 3D printing to complete. It is aesthetically designed to maximize strength while minimizing material usage. As you can see in the photos, there is no question that he did a tremendous job of minimizing the materials required. However, the real question is, “Can it hold a normal sized person?”
The lounger, which was metal-plated in copper, was on display at CES 2015 in the 3D Systems booth for anyone to sit in. 3DPrint.com’s Brian Krassenstein was one of the hundreds of people to sit in the chair — including illusionist David Copperfield, who we also saw taking a seat in the lounger.
I also had a chance to sit in the lounger, and to my surprise it was actually comfortable, especially when you consider all of the copper plated bars that run in various directions throughout. At the same time, it was much more sturdy than I would have guessed by looking at it, and it actually had a decent weight to it.
What do you think? Will we see 3D printed furniture in homes anytime soon? Discuss in the 3D Printed Lounger forum thread on 3DPB.com.