A Little Privacy During Your Airport Sleepover

Layover Innovation: RESMO

You can write on your iPad in relative privacy at the airport with RESMO

(Image copyright Red Dot)

Before you say, "I'd never use one of those!" or "Who would lug one of those around, even if it does fold up small?", listen to the concept behind the RESMO design.

Picture a large airport, a hub for many airlines, filling up with people during a weather delay: departing flights don't, arriving flights are grounded, and passengers keep arriving on the faint hope that maybe their flight will take off. It doesn't take long for every seat to fill, then every carpeted spot, then just anywhere with a wall to lean against, then finally the middle of the floor. And people are miserable.

If you've been there, you know what we're talking about.

Many large airports (thankfully) have folding cots that they bring out in these situations, but they are limited in their functionality (aka flat). Great for lying down, but not so great for sitting, lounging, writing, reading or just hanging out, killing time until things get moving again.

What if those cots were more flexible (allowing different configurations), offered just a bit of privacy (no, you can't read over my shoulder!), absorbed some sound (special cushions) and provided a bit of cheer (I want an orange one!).

RESMO adds a little comfort and privacy to the discomfort of the airport layover

(Image copyright Red Dot)

Airports could benefit from just how flat the RESMO folds, making for easy storage. And distribution would be easy: the RESMO is lightweight enough for each passenger to tuck one under their arm, find a comfortable spot and configure their airport camp to their liking.

The semi-private airport camp cot concept was dreamed up by designer Ko Chien-Hui when she was a student at Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weisensee. The result, RESMO, won her international acclaim when she was recognized with the Red Dot Award Design Concept 2014.

We love it, and thought you would too. Now all we have to do is convince airport executives around the world to make the investment. Hey, we're looking at you [insert name of your most dreaded layover airport here].

You can write love letters on your iPad in relative peace with RESMO

(Image copyright Red Dot)

It could all lead to a new kind of people-watching: observing how different people set up their RESMO and what they are doing. Oh, no, wait, you just might not be able to see... Which is the whole point!


Sources worth following: @airportsleeper, @designtaxi, @leahgonz, @PSFK, @reddot, @smowblog, @yankodesign

Related resources:

• A Folding, Private Bed for Travelers Stuck at the Airport
• Collapsible, Transforming Seat Gives A Little Privacy For Napping At The Airport
• A Frequent Flyer’s Best Friend - lots more pictures
• Resmo by Chien-Hui Ko - the models in miniature!
• Weather Channel's Top 10 Airports for Flight Delays
• An interactive map of the world’s best and worst airports for flight delays
• Airports with cots

Layover ideas:

• Berlin: drop by the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weisensee
• Berlin: layover ideas and stuff to do