It's no surprise that industry heavy Herman Miller had a successful NeoCon, taking home Silver in the category of Healthcare Guest and Lounge Seating for the Palisade Collection, and Gold for Ergonomic Desk/Task Chairs with the cosmically inclined Cosm.

I say cosmic because Cosm is the very definition of space age, offering several innovations that will likely define the direction of task chair technology.

Innovation #1 is Auto-Harmonic Tilt, the hidden mechanism beneath the seat that automatically senses and intuitively responds to the user's unique contours and weight distribution: "Cosm's Auto-Harmonic Tilt is able to understand how much tension to provide based on the downward force exerted by the person and it provides the same experience for everyone, regardless of body type or seated position."

Innovation #2-characterized as "iterate, iterate, iterate"-is the 3-D printing development process that utilized aluminum dust and resin to achieve the desired integrity of components, requiring years of work and multiple iterations.

Innovation #3 is Herman Miller's patented Intercept fabric, a continuous suspension material that attaches to the frame in an hourglass form, "creating areas of high- and low-tension that provide comfort and support where it is needed most."

Lastly, Innovation #4 is the Leaf Arms. This feature is a tour de force and an industry first-wrapping the chair's arms in the very same suspension material that graces seat and back, thus providing ergonomic support for the complex and oft-injured elbow.

Options for Cosm include various back heights and a comprehensive color palette: three Herman Miller neutrals and three new dynamic and "saturated" shades: "the new color options allow designers to create visually interesting and harmonious solutions for floorplates of all sizes and layouts."

For more information, see Herman Miller.