A company specializing in 3D printed customized orthopedic devices seems an odd, unexpected partner for mass furnishings retailer IKEA to collaborate with. But the Swedish company has taken aim at an opportunity to cater to an entirely new demographic with an accessories collection envisioned to ergonomically aid the gaming experience.
San Francisco based UNYQ normally utilizes their specialization with 3D printing technology to fashion custom-fit wearables designed to be simultaneously aesthetically beautiful yet practical and functional for upper and lower limb amputees. But for IKEA, UNYQ was tapped to use the same custom measured and fit approach to three consumer gaming products under the collection moniker of UPPKOPPLA:
- A biometric wrist support which maintains the correct height of the gamers’ wrist to the keyboard, reducing strain on their tendons.
- Soft pliable, vented keycaps which make the keyboard feel like a physical extension of a gamers’ fingers.
- A portable mouse “bungee” which clamps the users’ mouse cable in place, preventing tangling and enabling full freedom of movement.
The new IKEA UPPKOPPLA collection will be launched via a smartphone app globally in 2020, a decision to permit the customer to use their phone camera to create personalized and customized versions of the gaming accessories, each eventually to be delivered directly to their home within a few weeks.
