Created by Michael Candy, Chair 2 is a project exploring the mundane with the uncanny, where an ordinary chair “comes alive” through motion. Developed during a residency at New Lab, Detroit (Summer 2024), where Michael had access to advanced fabrication and prototyping facilities, Chair 2 is a revisit of one of Michael’s earliest projects (Chair, 2009) — a six-legged walking chair built from found materials. With over a decade’s experience since then, he wanted to re-imagine the concept using refined methods, digital fabrication, and discreet engineering.
The goal for Chair 2 was to create a create a sculpture that appears to be a simple, everyday steel chair, while hiding all the robotic systems inside. Extensive prototyping (including scale 3D-printed models) was undertaken to refine the walking mechanism, which is based on an off-centre cam system.
Four-legged walking mechanism is driven by elliptical cams, creating a slow, deliberate gait. All electronics, motors, and power are hidden within the 70mm-wide seat frame of the chair. Powered by custom 30Ah battery packs, with an operating time of ~5–6 hours per charge. Movement control is handled by an Arduino paired with a RoboClaw 2x30A motor controller. Navigation uses a Pixy2 vision sensor which detects and follows/reverses from a boundary line made with electrical tape and allows the chair to stay confined to specific gallery spaces. Originally intended for obstacle avoidance, but constraints of sensor placement led to the current line-tracking system.
Two identical units were built, allowing for swap-outs in longer exhibitions.
