The ISLE project aims to create a productive and comfortable next-generation bus seat for commuters by accommodating different morning rituals and supporting mobile working. Current bus seat designs use a lot of foam and vinyl leather to achieve a fancy look and it also creates plastic odor and unwanted chemicals inside the bus. They also take up a lot of space inside a bus due to the foam thickness that is required.
My initial goal was to design a new generation bus seat that is lightweight and compact to free up the bus interior. During the design process, I discovered that existing bus seat designs are actually very thick and heavy. Reducing the weight and size allows buses to be more fuel or electricity efficient and makes the interior more airy and breathable. — Dennis Tsai
ISLE is made out of a single aluminum tube structure covered with mesh fabric. The seat is made of 100% recycled polyester mesh fabric, recycled plastic, and aluminum. The breathable materials are beneficial for long time sitting and help prevent odor and dust accumulation. The seats can be completely disassembled for cleaning and repair. The lightweight structure helps reduce the overall weight of the bus to achieve higher fuel or electricity efficiency to reduce carbon emissions.
The built-in bag hooks allow passengers to hang their backpacks or purses without putting them on the ground or putting them on the overhead storage. With the bags right in front of them, passengers are able to access their bags without any obstacles. The built-in armrest has a perfect three-degree tilt that allows one to rest their hand in a natural posture. The thin and light seating design freed up the space inside the bus, this allowed each passenger to have their own armrests. They no longer have the invisible fight for the middle armrest.
Dennis Tsai has designed each seat with wireless charging built into the fold-down table, passengers can charge their phones without bringing a cable. The expandable work surface of ISLE also allows passengers to use their laptops or tablet during the long bus ride to work. The one-sided headrest helps block other people’s views from the aisle side, giving passengers a sense of privacy while letting the daylight come through from the other side. It also acts an as acoustic panel to absorb noise in the bus.
Tuvie has received “Isle Project” from our ‘Submit A Design‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their design/concept for publication.
