Fargo designers hit the web to fund unique project

Fargo, ND (WDAY TV) - A unique piece of furniture designed right in Fargo is getting rave reviews from fans around the world, thanks to the Kickstarter website. NDSU Architecture Student Brad Benke and Stahl Architects of Fargo together came up with RoboChair.

RoboChair is far beyond that doodling stage. It really works.

Brad Benke – Designer of Chair: “You unhook the legs and lift it up and it sits completely flat against the wall as a robot.”

Brad Benke will soon finish his long, tedious time as an NDSU architecture student. For the last two years he has been at Stahl architects. Brad designed RoboChair and built it using 3/4 inch birch plywood.

Brad Benke: “We look at it as a piece of functional art. We thought of making a folding chair that can do something when it is not being used.”

The question now; can it, should it be mass produced?

Brad Benke: “It appeals to everyone. It can be looked at as a kid's toy or just a great conversation piece at a party or entertaining friends. So, for me it’s the idea that it appeals to everyone.”

But it is how this chair is being marketed and getting noticed that is so interesting. Not showroom floors or trade shows, but social media.

Brad Benke: “I was just surprised how many people commented saying, ‘That’s really cool, but I wish it had this, I wish it had that.’ We’re just like, ‘Thank you, we really appreciate that.’”

Brad and his boss Phil Stahl turned to Kickstarter.com

Brad Benke: “It’s still a great idea, just to give a voice to people who would not normally have means of promoting an idea.”

A place for entrepreneurs to launch real ideas. A way to gauge interest from the general public---

Phil Stahl – Stahl Architects: “We’ve had Australia, Germany, New Zealand, UK, Italy, Rome, and they are seeing, ‘we want one, how much does it cost to send us one?’ Distributors say, ‘We want to distribute your product throughout Germany and Europe.’”

And those who may be investor friendly and want to take this simple RoboChair to another level.

Brad Benke: “It’s a website that connects anyone with a good idea to a direct crowd of people that want to support a good idea. So, for us it’s perfect because we are developing a product, and it gives us the ability to put the idea out there and see if there is any interest in it without really having much risk on our side.”

All of this because one man decided a doodle had some potential.

For more on the RoboChair click on the Easy Link.

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