7 product innovations from NEOCON 2009

Earlier this week, I had a chance to sneak away from our suburban Chicago office to head downtown to the Merchandise Mart for the annual NEOCON trade show, where the who’s who of interior design are gathered for the what’s what in cool new products. 

Buckminster Fuller even made an appearance! Well, not really. But his original Fly’s Eye geo-dome is on display in the Mart’s south lobby (take a quick walkthrough).

Six hours and 13,000 steps later (my wife bought me a pedometer/watch for my 34^th birthday), I had toured several dozen show rooms and completely filled my backpack with new product samples, press releases, and media kits. In particular, here are seven new product innovations that caught my eye at the show:
       
         

      
1. Let me introduce you to the “soft wall”
Movable partitions are nothing new, but Molo Design’s take on the movable partition is quite unusual. The company sells lightweight, accordion-like paper and textile modules that can be stretched to form “soft walls” for use in classrooms, condos, offices, exhibits, and retail stores. Available in two material types—a fully recyclable textile product and unbleached kraft paper made with 50% recycled fiber—the modules can be connected end-to-end or to walls and other surfaces using embedded magnets. LED strings can be incorporated to create a soft glowing effect, as shown above. Prices start at $1,200 for a 6×15-foot kraft-paper wall, with custom-height versions going for as much as $6,000.
       
        

       
2. What do you get when you combine task lighting and ambient lighting?
Tambient, of course. The all-in-one lighting system for open-plan office applications is mounted to workstations to provide both gentle, indirect uplighting and direct task lighting with a single T5 fluorescent lamp. By sharing a lamp, Tambient can reduce maintenance costs (fewer lamps to replace) and minimize energy use. In addition, uplighting provides greater coverage than traditional fluorescent downlights, further reducing energy consumption, according to the maker.
      
         

        
3. Fixed seating system gets tipsy to save space
Sedia Systems unveiled a novel seating system for classrooms and lecture halls that maximizes the number of seats in the space without exceeding building code limits. The Turner fixed seating system features a multi-pivotal base that allows unoccupied chairs to automatically tilt forward and swivel, maximizing the space behind each seat. Seating can be installed in straight rows on tiered or flat floors with minimum center-to-center spacing of 23.6 inches and minimum row spacing of 35.5 inches. Watch a demo video of the Turner system.

4. Transform any workplace surface into an iPod charging station
Powermat Ltd. demonstrated its wireless charging technology that turns any workplace surface into a charging station for portable electronic devices such as iPods, BlackBerrys, iPhones, GPS units, and laptops. Powermat utilizes the principles of magnetic induction to transform any surface into an energy hub. Simply plug in the ultra-thin mat and place it anywhere on your desktop. Form-fitting covers embedded with a wireless receiver allow gadgets to “plug in” and power up. The company is also working a version that can be embedded directly into tabletops, desktops, walls, and even ceilings. Watch a demo of Powermat’s wireless charger.
             

5. And the award for the funkiest chair on display goes to… 
… SIF Technology for its colorfully pixilated Pantone-Inspired Lounge Chair. SIF showcased the leather chair to show off its new digital imaging technology that can print virtually any image, texture, or special effect in any Pantone color on genuine leather upholstery. The company’s imaging process naturally fuses the image into the leather grain, resulting in a durable print that maintains the look, feel, and smell of real leather. Prices for printed leather upholstery start at $29/sf.
          
             

       
6. Wood is making a comeback
Reclaimed wood products are becoming hugely popular in the commercial buildings market, especially for retail and restaurant applications, and all types of green projects. Stone Source is the latest manufacturer to enter the reclaimed wood market, offering a range of textured, refurbished wood floor and wall panel products. The company is partnering with Brookline, N.H.-based Bingham Lumber to produce a variety of FSC-certified products for as low as $6/sf—quite reasonable for any wood product, let alone high-quality refurbished stock.
                 
        

         
7. Digital healthcare on the go. 
Humanscale Healthcare director Kevin France demonstrated his company’s new computer-on-wheels cart that meets the requirements of 99% of users in both sitting and standing postures. The T6 Point-of-Care Technology Cart is lightweight and has a small footprint, allowing hospital staff to easily push it through tight corridors and compact spaces common in healthcare environments. The keyboard, monitor, work surface, and overall cart height can be adjusted independently for maximum user comfort.