Sleeping bag for bats

Project type: Service Design, Product Design
Location: Chiba, Japan
Year: 2019

In collaboration of Köln International School of Design and Chiba University, this project was conducted on the focus of Non-human Centered Design to reflect on Human-centered Design within the expertise of Service Design. The project took place at the faculty of System Design, Chiba University with an interest of designing for non-human clients within Chiba University Campus.

Japanese Pipistrelle [こうもり]



Bats are found regularly within Chiba dormitory and the campus. We took serious interest in them due to their impressive bizarre living mechanism. Their basic features are outstanding in regards of human perspective and often studied to create useful technologies. The challenge lies in how we humans will design for bats as clients without usual verbal communication. 

Solution

Pain points | Design Opportunities
Bats are severely vulnerable during winter time. Our solution is a concept of creating an artificial sleeping bag that provides a perfect hibernation spot for bats living in a factitious habitats. The features were designed based on the possible conditions that may occur within this specific site and its environment.

Imitating what nature offers
In nature bats are attracted a carnivorous plant called Nepenthes hemsleyana and sleep inside. We use the shape of this plant as a fundamental form to design the sleeping bag in order to really attract them.

Prototypes and Material Selection

Exhibition
The project was exhibited once at Chiba University under the Faculty of System Design as how the process of design research and and implementation was done. Later it was featured again at KISD Parcours 2019 event as a part of Non-human centered design project as more of an outcome of a Product Design approaches through Service Design methodologies for non-human clients.

Chiba University

Parcours Exhibition, Köln International School of Design

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Team members: Puk Sithongsurapana, Kjell Wistoff, Joana R. Liu, Giovanni Tauro
Video editing: Kjell Wistoff