Micro-Unit Developers Could Benefit From This Robotic Furniture System

Ori Systems
Courtesy of Ori Systems
Ori Systems' Robotic Furniture

Affordable housing is hard to come by in many U.S. urban centers thanks to rising rents that are outpacing wage growth for working Americans. In a move to capitalize on the rise of micro-apartments, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed robotic furniture.

For $10K, large developers can pre-order an Ori Systems unit, which is basically a large piece of furniture that can transform into a bedroom, a home office or an entertainment area at the click of a button, Fast Co. Design reports. It is designed for a unit about 200 SF and the entire system consumes a tenth of the power a standard hair dryer uses. Rather than requiring special electrical wiring, Ori Systems is simply plugged into the wall. At present, the futuristic furniture is only available for real estate developers to purchase within New York City, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco.

Lack of affordable housing is a real problem in many U.S. urban markets. A joint study by Hoyt Advisory Services, the National Multifamily Housing Council and the National Apartment Association said the U.S. needs to add a total of 4.6 million units to keep pace with growing populations and demand for affordable housing.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's National Newsletters
Related Stories

Spirit Christmas Unveils Plans To Grow Store Count This Holiday Season

Hurricane Isaias Puts More Than $40B In Multifamily Property In Its Path

Braemar Inches Closer To Ashford Breakup With $372M Hotel Sale

Transformers: Yet Another Data Center Power Infrastructure Supply Chain Bottleneck

Proposed EPA Rule Change Could Cut Months From Timelines Of Projects Near Wetlands

Rates, Rents And AI Risks: Peter Linneman's Warning For CRE

After Years Of Rising Vacancy, Kendall Square Starts To Gain Momentum From AI

Heitman, Andover Target Self-Storage With New Investment JV

U.S. Multifamily Market Regaining Its Balance As Yearslong Supply Wave Tapers Off

Clarion Hires Prologis Executive To Lead Power Strategy

Why Data Centers Need To Embrace 'Responsible Resiliency'

The Bridge-To-Bridge Bet Is Holding Off CRE's 'Day Of Reckoning' — For Now