Sometimes even the travel-weary budget flier would pay just about anything for a couple of hours sleep after a long haul flight in “cattle class” - which is where the Sleepbox concept comes in. Imagine your joy at spotting one of these comfy cocoons at the airport lounge while you’ve got a few hours between connecting flights. Or if you’ve arrived late at night in a strange land and don’t want to risk finding a hotel room in the dark – or the lone cab driver parked in the shadows of the airport or train station. Check into the Sleepbox and you could be on cloud nine before your head hits the pillow.
Looking a little more spacious than the Nemorelax, the Sleepbox concept is a small mobile space that measures 2m x 1.4m x 2.3m (h) with a bed 2m x 0.6 and offers more convenience than just a place to catch some Zs. Designed by Arch Group’s Russian architects Alexey Goryainov and Mikhail Krymov, the Sleepbox is equipped with a desk, a built-in LCD TV, WiFi, wall-sockets for laptops and recharging cell phones, etc, ventilation and has storage space for luggage. There’s even a drink dispenser for re-hydration.
And don’t worry about dirty sheets and pillows. The room automatically changes the bed when the occupant exits. Visitors can sleep on a flexible strip of foamed polymer with a surface of pulp tissue that is rewound from one shaft to another, like hand towels in a bathroom. Proper bed linen costs you more.
Clients could purchase time inside the Sleepbox from 15 minutes to several hours.
Designed primarily for use at airports, railway stations, bus depots, exhibition centers and public shopping centers, the creators say the Sleepbox might also be useful for corporations (executives working long hours or for when the overseas boss pays a surprise visit).
There is also a hostel version of the Sleepbox that provides basic functions and is equipped only with a bunk bed, electrical outlets and lighting. It is envisaged that the hostel sleeping quarters would be one large room filled with Sleepboxes instead of lots of rooms with one or two beds in them.
The Sleepboxes could also be re-arranged for different layouts when required.
Via SwissMiss.
I know that back in the late 80s there was the development of sleeping tube-type hotels in Japan that we in Australia were amazed by. This seems to be a development upon that. I think the idea has merit, especially for passengers in transit etc. I can\'t see the idea taking off in ye olde backpackers anytime soon - nothing is cheaper than a few rooms full of cheap bunk beds and backpackers are very price sensitive, by definition.
On a related topic - I read an interesting Gizmag piece last year about airline seats that were reconfigurable as bunks - I had wondered about that a few times myself so I liked the article but thought the designs were unwieldy. I reckon a simpler design is possible and which would allow all passengers to have a lie-flat bed, even if the cheaper fares get you seats that require a bit of climbing and contortion for entry and exit. I like seeing article on these topic though - I am travelling more and more and it amazes me that the passenger technology, particularly to and from end-of-the-line places like Australia has really not progressed since WW2.
That doesn\'t make any sense at all, as you express disbelief despite your border-line faith that this was a Japanese persons idea based on no real evidence other than the Capsule hotels used in limited Urban locations around Japan. - Regardless, Urban, and predominantly Japanese people aren\'t claustrophobic because... they literally lack a fear of confined spaces. They have more patience, but in Urban cities it is also a product out of demand and delivery. Cheap housing to have a mattress and roof over your head for yourself. (Usually capsule hotels come with a restroom area, common area, shower facilities)
Very noble of you, but are you going to help this cause by taking some initiative and choking up the few thousand dollars each of these \'pods\' are probably going to cost