Robotic furniture catches on as apartment sizes shrink

More Americans are squeezing into smaller spaces. A new survey from RentCafe finds the average size of an apartment is down more than 50 square feet compared to a decade ago. 

Architect Eric Bieber now works from home, and his home works for him in a remarkable way. With the push of a button, his office becomes a bedroom. 

Bieber and his wife, Salome, were invited to test a cloud bed from Brooklyn-based startup Ori. 

CEO Hasier Larrea started the company more than a decade ago when he was at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Their "expandable apartments" are powered by robotic furniture that can unfold into a walk-in closet or slide into a home office. 

Larrea said, "We like to think about the concept of transforming a space." 

More companies are building shape-shifting furniture as apartment size shrinks. According to the survey, new apartments average just 887 square feet. 

Bieber said, "Definitely feels like we're living in the future."

Ori sells directly to the developers of more than 50 apartment buildings around the country. Larrea said that units can be just 350 square feet, so tenants pay lower rents without losing function. 

"We are in more than 1,000 apartments across the country, from New York to San Francisco, but also from Fort Worth to Boise. With many people experiencing these solutions on an everyday basis," said Larrea.

Ori doesn't sell their robotic furniture direct to consumers yet, but it expects to do so in the future. Ikea is one investor in the company, and they have also announced a partnership with Marriott Hotels.