Zero Gravity Chairs (Smart Chairs)

By Johny Jagannath

I recently stumbled on this video that makes a pretty good demonstration of a zero gravity workstation. But with some simple modifications one can "really" simulate zero gravity. 

Here's how. Let's take the feet for example. On a regular zero gravity chair, the feet experience a downward force (F-gravity) that our brain detects via various muscle contractions as the force of gravity. If you cut this signal or distort it, your brain thinks your feet are freely floating. And this is easily achievable via electrodes (and software) in the chair. Of course, one could then extend this idea to the entire body and precisely to the internal organs (that our brain knows are dangling downwards), to truly simulate weightlessness. All it takes is additional software and electrodes. But why go this far?

Once this type of zero gravity is achieved, one could write a new layer of software to induce false gravity (or acceleration) and change the direction of this false gravity at will. Remember the scene from Inception where gravity changes its direction? This may seem a bit Matrix-y, but this is entirely doable with current technology. 

Also a chair like this will go hand in hand with emerging technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality and has serious potential to enhance the 3D experience given it has full control of (potentially all) your senses when you sit on it. At least, imagine experiencing the g forces that Iron Man experiences when he flies?

In the not so distant future. Smart chairs are coming soon to a theater near you.