Bentwood Exercise Ball
Design student Albrecht Birkner had originally intended to work on a back protector for athletes for his degree project. However, when the student from Leipzig, currently enrolled at the Free University of Bolzano, happened to watch a video about pliable wood (‘bentwood’) manufactured in South Tyrol, he developed an innovative piece of furniture: an exercise ball made of wood!
Albrecht Birkner on his exercise ball made of wood
If you haven’t come across one of these exercise (or gym) balls before, you’ll certainly find them in antenatal classes. Here you will generally find balls made of yellow or red rubber, with a diameter of around 75cm. The South Tyrol bentwood exercise ball has roughly the same dimensions, but is made of just four simple wooden slats, made pliable by steam treatment.
A video produced by the TIS innovation park about bentwood manufactured in Bressanone, gave Albrecht Birkner the idea of designing an innovative seating solution. Birkner got in touch with Alexander Kaserer who works in the Simulation & Material department at the TIS innovation park. Kaserer supported the student in sourcing the material and took care of the design and utility patents. After this, the construction of the prototype could be tackled. It was easy to decide on a name for this spherical piece of furniture: it simply had to be the English word ‘Orb’ which comes from ‘orbis’, the Latin for ‘globe’.
“What is really completely new with this kind of seating is that it offers a great deal of freedom of movement”, explains Alexander Kaserer from the Simulation & Materials department at the TIS innovation park. Furthermore, its spherical shape and resilient nature mean users are constantly having to adjust their posture, all of which has a positive effect on the back and torso.
“This example proves once more how important innovative materials are for the development of innovative products”, adds TIS Director Hubert Hofer. “With our Materials Gallery, we have at our disposal a practical tool for supporting designers and developers in the creative process of product development.”
What happens to ‘Orb’ next is not yet clear. Further investigation will be needed to show whether this innovative exercise ball is suitable for industrial production and professional marketing.
