It seemed like an impossible idea. In 2014, an MIT project called CityHome proposed a sleek robotic armoire that would live inside your apartment, amplifying a tiny footprint with Jetsonian features like a kitchen and bed that could slide out from seemingly nowhere. It was neat, sure, but experiments like this rarely come to fruition as real products.
Except CityHome did. It became a company called Ori that began selling units to real estate developers a few years ago. Shortly thereafter, it introduced a couple of consumer-facing models, shipping robo-furnishings right to your door. This year Ori announced its biggest news yet: a deal inked with Ikea to offer customizable furnishings to customers in the future.
