The purpose of this project is to follow the 8-Steps Design Process to design a rocking chair.

Step 1: The objective of this project is to design a rocking chair that does not use a standard rocker. I stated my problem statement as “How can I design a chair that will help you reduce stress?” My constraints are the chair has to be a rocking chair, it can only use by one material, the CAD model should scale it to 4x4x4 or less, and it should has an oversized seat. My criteria are the chair must not have standard legs or any rocker attachment, and the material should be Baltic birch plywood. In addition, the chair should look modern and homey, it should also help people relax and enjoy while seating and adapt to a better comfort living.

Step 2: Research can be done in many different ways, such as: internet searches, books, magazines, surveys, etc. My solutions were created based on the internet searches. I research on the health benefits of rocking chair, how rockers aid rehabilitation, how massage can prevent high blood pressure, ways to relieve stress and standard dimensions of rocking chair.

• List of health benefits of rocking chair:
  -Motion help to achieve muscle tone. Shifting body-weight back and forth can help slowing respiration and lowering blood pressure.
  -Rocking help students with ADD and ADHD to focus better in learning environments.
  -Rocking a couple of minutes during pregnancy helps in the development of the nervous system of the fetus.
  -Reducing stress and anxiety, studies show those who rock regularly need less or no medication to deal with depression related issues. Rocking improves balancing skills, preventing accidents due to falling.
  -Rocking helps reduce pain after an abdominal hysterectomy. It also helps patients to recover from a knee surgery with light exercise.
  References: http://www.furniturenewyork.org/blog/?p=283

• How rockers aid rehabilitation:
  -Rocking aids in strengthening and keeping the affected areas flexible. Patients with hypertension can benefit from rocking to reduce blood pressure, respirations and the heartbeat. As one rocks and relaxes, tension is released and the major organs slow. For people who suffer from chronic lower back pain, rocking releases endorphins that improve mood and increase comfort.
  References: http://denisehandlon.hubpages.com/hub/The-Healing-Effects-of-Rocking-Chair-Therapy

• How massage can prevent high blood pressure:
  -Massage is one of the ways to reduce stress and relax the body in order to prevent high blood pressure and an increase in heart rate. There have been quite a few studies done that have shown that massage can reduce both stress and heart rate. These studies have shown that after receiving a message, there has been a significant increase in the parasympathetic nervous system of the test subject. This system, also simply called PNS, counteracts any stress response produced by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in order to allow the body to come back into balance. In a study done by New Zealand researchers who were testing the role of massage therapy on migraine headaches, levels of stress were measured through levels of cortisol. A daily log of the participants’ own perceived levels of stress were also recorded after each massage session. The study concluded that, “compared with control participants, massage participants showed decrease in heart rate, anxious mood and salivary cortisol right after the massage.”
  References: http://www.inadausa.com/resources/benefits-of-massage/

• Ways to relieve stress:
  – Listen to calm music
  -“Breathe out” negative emotions. “Breathe in” positive emotions
  -Massages/ Spa
  -Watch the sunsets/ sunrises
  -Go for a walk/ Explore nature
  -Sit and read a book.
  -Visualize stress floating away with the “hot air balloon method”
  References: http://www.audiotranscription.org/how-to-relieve-stress/

• Standard dimensions of rocking chair:
  -44.5” H x 39.5” W x 32” D
  References: http://www.garyweeks.com/rocking_chair_dimensions.htm

Step 3: After research my problem, I started to develop my ideas by brainstorming and look for inspirations around my surroundings. I began looking at any rocking chair and started to doodling any shape of rockers and chair designs.

                    Fig. 1

Step 4: I started narrow down my designs by going back to the list of my criteria and constraints. In addition, I record the pros and cons on the side for each design. 

                     Fig. 2a

                      Fig.2b

Step 5: In this step, I used the chart below to select my final decision. I listed all my criteria on the top row then evaluate each design from 1-4 (1 is the lowest and 4 is the highest). I decided to select idea #3 as my final solution because it came out as the highest point.

                    Criteria

Step 6: I began modeling my solution by using the 3D software called Solidworks. (Figures below showed the top, front, side, and isometric result of the solution)

                  Top View

                  Front View

                  Side View

              Isometric View

Step 7: Furthermore, in this step, I will make a prototype to test whether my solution works or not. I will use the 3D printer or CNC machine to manufacture a scaled model to test whether it can rock on two ways and it can hold amount of the weight. Also, I will use the “Finite Element Analysis” to test how much stress it can hold on the seat pan and seat back while rocking so I can get the best fitting rocking chair result.

Step 8: Communicate and redefine the design.
Bill of material
-Baltic birch plywood
Specification sheets
-Dimension: 48”H x 67”W x 22”D
-Color: Warm light color
-Rocking chair constructed two layer crossed base to rock on two ways (left-right, front-back).
Drawings
-This drawing is in a real world dimension.

          Dimension is in inches.