BMW Rivalworks AI Gaming Chair

BMW Rivalworks AI Gaming Chair

Ergonomics are vital if you spend more than five minutes at your desk. The world of gaming chairs has exploded in recent years with tons of manufacturers producing branded models for you to rest your posterior in comfort.

As anyone who has spent a long time in a chair, given the uniqueness of our bodies, will know that you can usually never quite get it into the position that you want. If only there was a better way. Another way. A cooler way.

Enter BMW have leveraged the knowledge of their Designworks arm to show us a glimpse of the future with the Rivalworks AI chair.

  

A combination of motors and machine learning are used to adapt the seating position for perfect head, arm and back posture, letting you game for long hours without becoming fatigued or, if you’re anything like your writer here, developing crippling RSI through years spent on computers before ergonomics were a consideration. It certainly looks insanely good, and if the futureshock aesthetic is your bag then we think that you’ll love the design. Albeit one unlikely to ever see production.

  

It isn’t just the posture that BMW are focussing upon. Within the chair are cooling fans and sensors which ensure you’re kept chilled in all the right places, so no matter how under pressure you’re feeling getting fatigued through heat shouldn’t be an issue.

  

Holger Hampf the President of BMW Designworks said in a statement :

“The Rival Rig by BMW and Rivalworks, more than any other project before, was about pushing the boundaries of human capabilities. What we wanted to achieve is a gaming rig design that takes both technology and aesthetics in this field to the next level. Our goal was to create the most comfortable seating, hand posture and head movement situation, that allow the gamer to fully immerse herself or himself and experience a sense of weightlessness. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for a designer to work on a project like this as we were able to play to extremes in terms of technology.”

Is this the kind of thing you’d be interested in seeing developed into a future product, or are you happier not sitting in something that thinks it knows the most comfortable position for you to be in?

Let us know on the OC3D Forums.