Sybaris: The Chair That Will Keep You on the Edge of Your Seat

Anique Gonzalez

Armed Chair Motion Simulators has created the Sybaris, whose name fittingly comes from the word sybarite, meaning "a person devoted to pleasure and luxury." The Sybaris is a luxury electric reclining chair that was made to move in tandem with the on-screen action and sound of movies.

According to the Armed Chair website, the Sybaris's patented, award-winning technology is a "combination of actuators moving in a programmed, choreographed motion [which] enables the system to reproduce a wide range of two- and three-dimensional motions and vibrations, ranging from subtly detectable to extremely dynamic." And just in case you're wondering, "actuators are robotic muscles that lift and move the motion simulator."

This means that the movie experience is now interactive, in an intense way. The chair is capable of lifting 600 pounds at a speed of two Gs. Just like amusement park rides such as Disney World's Star Tours, which takes riders on "a turbulent trip through outer space," the Sybaris also makes users feel as if they are part of the action occurring on screen.

Imagine what it would be like feeling as though you were driving through countless cars on the rush-hour packed freeway in the exhilarating, heart-racing, high-speed car-chase scene in The Matrix Reloaded, or watching—and feeling as though you were participating in—the countless battles in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, or sensing that you were being chased by a tyrannosaurus rex and other prehistoric dinosaurs while watching Jurassic Park.

Each system consists of a motion simulator (in this case, the chair), a motion controller, motion-controller software, and movie motion-control codes. Your set, including the Sybaris x3 Nitrous and Kinesis 800 controller, will cost you nearly $11,000, excluding $1,300 for installation, as well as a possible import duty/tax.

Of course, after taking part in this new movie experience, you may never be able to watch a film in a "normal" chair the same way again. However, there is a solution for that. You will be pleased to know that the company is currently working on two-, three-, and four-person sofas, as well as a bed, all of which will have the same revolutionary technology and enable you to watch interactive movies with a group or in the comfort of your own bedroom.

And in the event that you do decide to venture out and once again participate in the moviegoing experience at your local Cineplex, your experience won't have to be sans movement. Armed Chair is currently developing simulation products for use in movie theaters. So stay tuned, because the Sybaris is coming not only to your home but also to a theater near you.