Guide Bars
"hovers through the use of powerful magnets, floating up and down on two guide bars to give the feeling of lying in mid-air."
I'd have one if it wasn't for the guide bars. Just makes it look like it's them that supports its weight.
Brit firm levitates floating chair
It may not be the flying car we've been waiting for since the mid 1950s, but Brit firm Hoverit has come up with what may prove to be the next best thing: a Newton-snubbing maglev lounger. The Hoverit floating chair The company's Steve Wild explains: "The Hoverit Lounger is British designed and built. It is precision …
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Friday 8th February 2008 12:26 GMT GottaBeKidding
Acrylic? You're kidding, right?
That's a nasty abuse of the phrase 'engineered'. Acrylic is strong (ish) in compression. It does not cope well with "pinch" type loadings.
This chair may work well enough for a specific user, due to the magnets being specified with various strengths at the four different supporting points. However, with a different user (due to differing center of gravity), the "sliding" column will probably not in fact slide due to off-axis loading. This may cause the column to be the only thing supporting the user.
Also, getting on and off will not be a fun exercise.
To me, it looks like it's been designed by the sales team :(
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Friday 8th February 2008 12:26 GMT Simon Round
Yes Please!
Cool. I'll have one. No. Better make that two.
There you go nice mister salesman, one shiny new credit card.....
What do you mean 'It doesn't work'? But it hasn't been near any powerfull magnets......
...... Oh Bugger!
Paris, because she can float up and down on my guide bar any time she likes.
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Friday 8th February 2008 12:28 GMT Gianni Straniero
Pffft!
"The sensation that you feel as you lay back and close your eyes is totally different, like floating on a cloud."
Or, more accurately, like sitting on a plastic chair that's floating on a cloud.
"Permanent magnets can also help back, muscular problems and headaches, so our furniture not only looks good - it may make you feel good too."
But kiss goodbye to your wristwatch, and probably your TV & loudspeakers while you're at it.
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Friday 8th February 2008 12:31 GMT Timbo
Powered by electricity no doubt?
...and let's just hope the firm has enough legal cover for when owners get injured (when the "chair" falls) due to electricity brown outs....
And I wonder what the 'leccy bill will be for it? Powerful magnets usually require powerful power supplies to generate the magnetism.
Unless of course, we're talking about massive Neodymium-Iron-Boron permanent magnets...in which case, I assume that the chair will only support up to a maximum weight limit......so no point selling this in the US, coz they are all, apparently, "obese" over there...! So that's one export market they can't sell to....
Mind you.....we Brits love these wacky ideas......only to find that someone in some other country figures out how to make it work at a sensible price...
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Friday 8th February 2008 13:18 GMT Anonymous Coward
Oh, dear!
"Permanent magnets can also help back, muscular problems and headaches, so our furniture not only looks good - it may make you feel good too."
Do they, then? It's odd how EM kills you when it's emitted by a cell phone, but magnetic fields cure you when emitted by a bullsh*tting new-age salesman.
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Friday 8th February 2008 14:42 GMT Alan Doherty
@Timbo @Mike Crawshaw :Powered by electricity no doubt?
guys? its maglev, strong magnets!! {permanent unpowered}
not electromagnets {temporary requiring power}
so many willing to comment without any knowledge
{yes mike i know yers was more of a joke about the other article}
on the other hand silly to spend so much effort /money and not make it look comfortable
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Friday 8th February 2008 14:42 GMT Graham Dawson
A pedantic tit speaks (and if you don't get it, tough, um, noodles)
"And I wonder what the 'leccy bill will be for it? Powerful magnets usually require powerful power supplies to generate the magnetism."
A few people mentioned electricity bills and apparently haven't read the definition of "permanent magnet".
Paris, cos if I sit in front of her you might start thinking of Total Recall.
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Friday 8th February 2008 16:28 GMT tfewster
"..to give the feeling of lying in mid-air."
No, it'll give the feeling of lying on a plastic slab that is supported by something with a bit of "spring" in it - In this case magnetic repulsion rather than a quaint old spring.
Uncomfortable & impractical, but I still wants one - maybe for the poolside?
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Saturday 9th February 2008 16:48 GMT Anonymous Coward
Cool Chair
I want one! I saw this chair on Richard & Judy Wednesday and Richard was bouncing on it, and surfing on it. IT Was Cool!
The guide bars are aparently to stablize movement, without them, we would fly (cool too eh?)
If you were watching the BBC the other night, the presenter said that it was comfy - while sipping a cocktail! My ideal heaven.
Heavy weight - not a problem as this baby is customized.
If we all had Paris's dosh, we could have it ergonomically designed perhaps with a pooch pouch for FeeFee as well, and in Pink!
SWEET.
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Sunday 10th February 2008 05:41 GMT Anonymous Coward
Been there
Its a novel idea but not really a new one, at least two high end audio companies have been making mag-lev turntable stands for years now, with similarly astronomical pricetags. You can, of course achieve the same effect for your turntable or rump by lying a chunk of particle board over some tennis balls, without the risk of giant, ultra powerful permanent magnets flying loose and crushing your skull.
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Biting the hand that feeds IT
