Hermit nap station provides peace and quiet for bloggers on the move (video)

As many a nomadic modern road warrior knows all too well, while you can get Internet access, juice for your laptop, and phone service on-the-go, privacy is at a premium. Thankfully, an Australian Design Science student named Kerry Jia Yi Lin has developed a little something called Hermit -- an "experimental interactive shell" that uses RFID tags to know when you've crossed your arms and set your head down for a nap. Once you've assumed the position, the felt shell closes above you, providing "a personal refuge in a communal environment." Sounds nice and peaceful, no? If you'd like to see it in action, we've got a video for you after the break. If you prefer a low-tech version, we suppose you could just throw a coat over your head.

[Ethan Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:27PM]

Do you turn into a beautiful butterfly if you stay in long enough?

[onlymyrailgun Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:41PM]

@Ethan
Yes, you come out evolved dependiing on which species of pokemon you are.

[Spiny Norman Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:44PM]

@Ethan

No, I think it's more likely that you would come out looking like Mothra.

[Inf Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:28PM]

LOL, now, that flexible light somehow made it into the crapgadgets list, yet THIS didn't ?! Someone explain this to me, please, LOL

[MiketheVee Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:29PM]

now that's stop motion at its most painful stage. i felt like i was watching a really shitty commercial made with stills and wierd music. (wait.. that is what it is..)

tangent aside. silly idea. it's extra crap to carry with you just for a nap.

[jd Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:34PM]

cool, now i can take pipe hits when it's windy out and i'm sitting outside of starbucks.

[SatanClauz Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:45PM]

@jd

pipe hits...?

bong hits?

[kopis Posted Jan 25th 2010 6:16PM]

@jd personaly I cant see crack heads spending there hard stolen money on one of these things to shelter there lighter ;)

[engadget fanboy Posted Jan 25th 2010 7:59PM]

@kopis Lol, they are referring to stoners not crack heads.

[Anatidae Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:42PM]

She looks too much like some turtle from a video game. The urge to knock her over to find out if there is a prize under that shell is just too much.

[n1hmrd Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:43PM]

i been doing this for yonks all i do is just open the side of my pc case and stick my head and arms in there!!and then have a nice air cooled ,sleep all while the lights keep blinking mind,only side effects are strange dreams and the often mangled hand !

[CtrlBurn Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:49PM]

At first I thought this was supposed to be like a hush hood a la The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Once I read the full post I realized that it is, in fact, nothing.

[Spiny Norman Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:52PM]

Come to give yourself up have you, Riley (aka the giant blancmange)? (with sudden fear) Eh Riley? Riley! Riley! It's not Riley!

It's an extra-terrestrial being! Agggh!

I wonder if that thing intends to win Wimbledon?

[kopis Posted Jan 25th 2010 6:32PM]

@Spiny Norman I don't know about entering but after watching a ball go back and forth for hours I can see them selling loads @ wimbledon aslong as ppl can find a power point haha.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 25th 2010 4:59PM]

"Thankfully, an Australian Design Science student named Kerry Jia Yi Lin has developed a little something called Hermit"

...and unfortunately it appears that Australian Design Science student named Kerry Jia Yi Lin skipped attending her classes far to many times.

[Eballer55 Posted Jan 25th 2010 5:02PM]

Once they upgrade the motors and affix a sharp steel rim on it they can use it as a guillotine for unsuspecting workers who slack off on the job or at a boarding school for lazy students.

[Brian J Posted Jan 25th 2010 5:06PM]

In the words of Master Chief, wat tha fok.

[strale Posted Jan 25th 2010 5:15PM]

the dope is so much better in australia ...

[fourthletter Posted Jan 25th 2010 5:25PM]

So it isn't sound proof and it's pretty see through, whats the point again ?

[inimicus Posted Jan 25th 2010 5:31PM]

Portable fap station?

[genomecop Posted Jan 25th 2010 5:32PM]

Head digestion optional.

[Kevin B Posted Jan 25th 2010 5:36PM]

Another great idea from Donnie and Gretchen.

[kopis Posted Jan 25th 2010 6:20PM]

@Andir BTW I did have to check a few times and it took me a good hour but I do beleve thats a girl HAHAHA ;)

[Einlander Posted Jan 25th 2010 6:21PM]

All it needs now is tentacles.

[kopis Posted Jan 25th 2010 6:36PM]

Aptly named as hermits have been putting there heads in cardboard boxes to sleep for years :0 the only benefit in actualy using a cardboard box is
1: it dose not need a power point
2: there bloody everywere so no need to carry anythink with you
3: you might even make a few quid while you sleep....

[raredesign Posted Jan 25th 2010 6:36PM]

I would be so tempted to just disconnect the wire on someone :-)

[HikaKao Posted Jan 25th 2010 7:16PM]

So...this thing is coded to begin eating you while you sleep, and playing innocent when you wake up? Do humans WANT the robots to take over?

[killrz1 Posted Jan 25th 2010 7:16PM]

Will I be able to use it during the last hour of my U.S. bound flight?

[yrag Posted Jan 25th 2010 8:40PM]

Yet another bridge to nowhere.

[johnnj Posted Jan 25th 2010 8:58PM]

This is the stupidest thing I've seen on the Internet in the last 10 minutes, and that's saying a lot.

[Average White Boy Posted Jan 26th 2010 12:36AM]

@johnnj

About as useful as Get Smart's "Cone of Silence."

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jan 25th 2010 10:04PM]

3 letters... W. T .F

[DrVan Posted Jan 25th 2010 10:49PM]

Most annoying video ever. "Hey, let's capture the motion of this device using stop-start!" Ughh..

[keeny Posted Jan 26th 2010 12:02AM]

that's creepy ..

[furquanatique Posted Jan 26th 2010 4:46AM]

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[JGGJ Posted Jan 26th 2010 4:50AM]

I thought this was an entry for the Crap-gadget of the millenium.

[Tegdagne Posted Jan 26th 2010 6:11AM]

Kudos to the gal for actually bringing into existense one of those ideas that you normally just dismiss as a moment of madness.

An inventor will create hundreds of useless inventions for every good one.