The Japanese take their napping seriously and the country has a proud history of producing outside-the-box ideas to help overworked salarymen grab a few z's, but even for that part of the world the Giraffenap is a crazy idea. The pod-like structure allows office workers to literally sleep on the job in an upright standing position.
Presumably named after the fact that giraffes often sleep standing up (cownap just doesn't have the same ring to it), Giraffenap comes in two different models, both of which are around the size of an old-fashioned public phone booth. The futuristic-looking Spacia and the wooden Forest both have a width and depth of 1.2 m (almost 4ft), while the Spacia is the slightly taller model, with a height of 2.57 m (8.43 ft) compared to the Forest's height of 2.53 m (8.3 ft).
The idea is that users can enjoy a short siesta in the office, or perhaps in a cafe. Admittedly, it looks rather uncomfortable to this writer and it's not hard to imagine a dystopian workplace that keeps its staff in the office 24/7, but that's not the goal here. Napping in public is apparently more socially acceptable in Japan compared to much of the West. Indeed, Giraffenap has done its research and reckons that the pod's design, which supports the head, butt, shins and soles of the feet, will make for a pleasant short nap. One local blogger reported that it was actually very comfortable when giving an early model a try at a coffee shop.
"Through joint research with Hokkaido University and Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University, when sleeping while standing, it reaches sleep stage 2 (a sleep state that allows you to breathe lightly)," explained Giraffenap. "It has been demonstrated to remain in sleep stage 2 for over 30 minutes. You can feel the effect of a nap and not sleep too much, so you can quickly return to work without feeling dizzy."
The pads and seat height can be adjusted using a control panel to fit different body types, though those on the larger side may struggle to even fit in such a snug space. There are also options for lighting and USB ports to charge portable devices like phones and tablets. Ventilation fans and air purifiers are installed and the seats wipe clean after use. Additionally, Giraffenap says the pods are designed to not fall over during an earthquake and have their own fire extinguishing system.
Both the Spacia and Forest are expected to be officially released in Japan sometime in December 2023/January 2024. We've no word on worldwide availability yet but have reached out to the company for more information.
Source: Giraffenap
