R&D Laboratory Apartment of the Future opened!
On Wednesday, June 25, we opened the B+R Apartment of the Future laboratory in Dobroteka.
Dobroteka has become home to Europe's first commercial research laboratory, the "Apartment of the Future." Initiated by furniture manufacturers
from Dobrodzień, this center conducts research into living spaces. It is a pioneering venture that uniquely combines the expertise of scientists, designers, and furniture manufacturers.
"Polish furniture manufacturers boast a machine park comparable to the best German or Italian companies in the industry," says Rafał Desczyk, president and originator of Dobroteka, "and often possess even more advanced solutions. However, the product creation process needs development to account for user needs."
The "Apartment of the Future" was conceived as a specialized space for scientifically researching furniture prototypes, finished products, arrangements, and user attitudes toward new technologies, technical solutions, aesthetic preferences, and the ergonomics of interior furnishings. The apartment is a fully equipped 120 sqm living space, comprising a dining room, kitchen, relaxation zone, workspace, entertainment area, and bedroom, where one can prepare a meal, watch a film, relax, or read a book.
"Today, we want to invite our customers to participate in the product development process so that it is better adapted to their rapidly changing lifestyles," says Dr. Eng. Tomasz Wiktorski, Director of Research and Development at Dobroteka.
The Apartment of the Future systematizes the collection of user feedback, creating a system that supports the design and testing of prototypes and arrangements. To this end, it is equipped with a range of modern solutions: a video intelligence system for monitoring selected parameters of human behavior with cameras; wireless EEG equipment to monitor the subject's level of interest; and soon, an eye-tracking device to show the details we pay attention to. Yes! Equipment known from the latest global neuromarketing research will be available to furniture manufacturers at Dobroteka in Dobrodzień!
Research conducted in the Apartment of the Future utilizes interdisciplinary research techniques from the fields of psychology, sociology, ergonomics, physiology, hygiene, and health, which are combined with knowledge from construction, materials science, and design. This research, supported by survey interviews, yields in-depth knowledge regarding the properties of the tested products and the expectations placed upon them.
"The work of interdisciplinary teams will be a success factor in the coming years," Wiktorski concludes. "This applies to all industries, not just interior design. Dobroteka, as a business environment institution, is acquiring new competencies to provide innovative services to companies in the region."
The main research areas conducted in the Apartment of the Future are: sociological conditions and aesthetic preferences, design for the 60+ age group, and analysis of behavior
in assessing product and arrangement attractiveness.
The Apartment's success is also due to attracting excellent technological partners to collaborate on the first test arrangement, including: KLER, Halupczok, Fibaro, Siedle, Delta Audio, 3 form, Siemens, Hafele, Hettich, Ad Notam, Philips, Dorma, Krause, Schachermayer, Mio Decor. From the scientific side, the project is supported by: Opole University of Technology, Opole University, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Academies of Fine Arts from Krakow, Katowice, Wrocław and Poznań, Silesian University of Technology from Gliwice, and Cieszyn Castle.
Like other Dobroteka initiatives, the "Apartment of the Future" has opened new perspectives for the development of furniture manufacturing in Dobrodzień. The Apartment of the Future is also open for visitors who do not necessarily wish to be research subjects.
