Aqil Raharjo, a second year design student at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada, has designed a new device that allows you to take a quick nap at school or at work. It’s a portable hammock that mounts under your desk. It sets up in minutes so you can grab a nap when you need it, then keep going on whatever project you’re working on. Since you won’t have to take the time to go home and come back, you maximize both your sleeping and waking hours.
Raharjo noticed that many of his fellow students would stay on campus overnight to work on projects. When they got tired, they would fall asleep sitting up or slumped over their desks. He reasoned that those sorts of catnaps were not very refreshing and probably not all that good for a person’s health, either.
So he designed Schnap, an all-inclusive “nap in a snap.” A canvas pouch holds the hammock, two clamps, and two table protectors. The ends of the hammock loop onto the clamps, allowing it to hang below a desk. The canvas carrying pouch is reversible and doubles as a pillow. Stuff it with a sweatshirt or sweater and then press the velcro together to make a comfy place to rest your head.
Raharjo only had one week to fabricate the design for his class project. It came in handy right after his class presentation was complete. He says, “After I presented my product to the class, the professor asked me, ‘Is there anything else you’d like us to know?’ I said, ‘No, I think I’m done. I just need some sleep.’ At that point, I wasn’t thinking or referring to my product at all. But then he told me, ‘Great! Now you can actually use your product.’ He knew I barely slept for a week so I set everything up and used my product right away!”
The Schnap is not yet for sale to the public. Reharjo says it is still in development but hopes it will be available for purchase online soon. He says people can keep up with developments on the Schnap’s Facebook page. One presumes he got a passing grade from his instructor!
Via Inhabitat. Photo credits: Aqil Reharjo