What it does
Chronos is a series of intelligent furnishings with advanced technologies: purifiers, lights, sounds and sensors work in synergy to improve domestic life, creating unique and dynamic atmospheres thanks to autonomous movements and intuitive interfaces.
Your inspiration
Chronos was born from a university project focused on the theme of nomadic domestic containers. The goal is to combine functionality and well-being, creating intelligent modules capable of generating a healthy, relaxing and customizable microclimate. The multifunctional containers are inspired by suggestive scenarios such as a hypostyle hall or a cave of stalactites and stalagmites, spaces to explore and move around. Designed for free architecture or large open spaces, the modules rotate slowly, exploiting their asymmetrical shape to offer a new perspective of the domestic environment each time.
How it works
The Chronos series is made up of smart modules designed to create a dynamic and multisensory home experience. The main modules slowly rotate on their own axis thanks to a stepper motor connected to some gears, enabling smooth, precise movement. Alongside them, a ground satellite (a small robot) moves freely using four omnidirectional wheels, allowing for seamless navigation in any direction. Air purification is achieved through a three-layer HEPA filter and a fan that draws in polluted air and expels clean air back into the room. Lighting is provided by a thin and flexible OLED display, while sound comes from eight small speakers in the main modules and four larger, more powerful speakers in the ceiling-mounted module. Interaction is enabled via a prototype app designed for intuitive UI/UX, as well as through a touchscreen on top of the satellite. This screen features a simplified interface for core functions, organized like widgets for quick and easy access.
Design process
The project started in the Product Design Laboratory 3 course, focused on “nomadic domestic containers.” It’s a modular, mobile, and smart system designed to adapt to home spaces, combining aesthetics, technology, and functionality. The design draws inspiration from free-form architectures like Terragni’s Danteum and the hypostyle hall of Karnak, creating a spatial experience with vertical elements to interact with. After initial sketches, four module types were developed: Main column (rotating primary module), Sub columns (secondary columns), Satellite (mobile ground unit), and Sound spot (audio/light module for ceiling or floor). Each module suits different environments (living room, kitchen, studio) with adaptive behaviors. Development involved three prototyping phases: 1. Volume and proportion study with fixed modules, no tech. 2. Basic tech integration and redesign 3. UI & UX prototyping User control is via a mobile app and touchscreen, offering random or preset modes to manage lights, sound, purification, and movement in real time.
How it is different
This project stands out for its ability to combine modularity, technology and interaction in an active and adaptive way. These are not simple furnishing elements, but intelligent and mobile modules, capable of rotating, moving and responding to the environment and the user. Each module has a specific function, but can modify its behavior based on the context. Another distinctive aspect is the multisensory integration coordinated with each other to create immersive environments. This synchronization allows the space to be transformed in real time, adapting it to different needs or moods. The interaction is simple but advanced, thanks to the combined use of a mobile app and a touch screen integrated into the satellite module. The user can choose preset modes or let the system generate random scenarios, controlling every aspect of the home environment in real time. In short, the project proposes a new way of inhabiting space: flexible, sensitive and reactive.
Future plans
The project’s future focuses on AI integration to make modules more autonomous and responsive to user habits. Sustainability is a key goal, with plans to use recycled materials and optimize energy through smart sensors. The interface will be expanded with customizable features, voice control, and advanced ambient modes. Real-world testing in co-living, work, or therapeutic spaces will help refine the system. The aim is to create a new standard for living: modular, adaptive, and continuously evolving.
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