New sleeping pod in LWN library popular among students and staff

24 Sep 2018

By Jeanne Mah and Matthew Loh

A sleeping pod initiative that lets students and staff catch a quick nap at the Lee Wee Nam Library has received growing popularity since it was announced on 7 Sep, and the team behind the pod hopes to add more of them around campus if demand stays high.

The startup, called Co.Kun, is helmed by five NTU students from the Minor in Entrepreneurship programme. It is currently running a two-month pilot trial with one sleeping pod.

Bill Pung, 24, the spokesperson for Co.Kun, said that the team created the venture for their final module in the Minor in Entrepreneurship programme, and that the idea behind the sleeping pod was hatched when they recognised that lack of sleep was an issue for students in Singapore.

Students and staff can reserve the sleeping pod for free for 30 minutes via the Lee Wee Nam Library’s facilities booking system.

Since its launch, the sleeping pod has been well-received by students and staff.

It has been fully booked almost every day since 10 Sep, after it received media attention from news outlets like Mothership.sg and The Straits Times, said Pung.

One user who enjoyed the experience was Mr Kuok Zhi Qiang, 32, who described it as the “perfect place” to catch a few winks.

“It used to be difficult to rest on top of the bean bags in the library’s resting room. But now, my body is in a comfortable position when I am lying down in the pod,” said the project lead at the Air Traffic Management Research Institute.

Another user, Aditya Bansal, a first-year School of Computer Science and Engineering student said that the pod is especially convenient for students who want to nap in between lectures.

“It’s very peaceful inside, so it’s much better than resting in a public area. If you don’t have time to go back to your room in hall, this is where you can take a short power nap,” said the 21-year-old.

Hygiene issues

But others worried about hygiene and complained about inconsiderate users.

Ms Chew Ye Qiu, 25, a research staff at the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, was concerned about the cleanliness of the bedsheets and said they should be changed more frequently.

Currently, the pod’s bedsheets are changed every two to three days.

“The pod is still very clean because it is new. But if more students begin using it, it will be unhygienic if the sheets are not changed after each person’s use,” Ms Chew said.

Pung said the team is considering changing the bedsheets to disposable ones, or using synthetic plastic material which can be easily wiped.

Expressing another concern was Cyle Nguyen, 21, a final-year student at the School of Computer Science and Engineering, who said the person scheduled before him had exited the pod late, causing him to have a shorter time slot.

While there is a buzzer that reminds students when their time is up, Pung said users should be responsible to keep to their allocated time slots.

The team may also introduce additional features like weight sensors or cameras to prevent more than one person from using the pod during each slot. However, Pung said these measures compromise privacy and will only be implemented as a last resort if there are issues of misuse.

More pods in the works?

During the trial period, Co.Kun will gather feedback about the pod through an online survey. If feedback is positive, the team will work with the school’s management to see if more pods can be installed at the Lee Wee Nam library, said Pung.

“Our goal for now is to see what the response will be like before we commit to more pods,” he said, adding that Co.Kun may also consider expanding its services to areas outside of campus, like in offices and schools if it is successful in NTU.

But he declined to confirm if Co.Kun will charge users for the booking of pods in the future, saying that this will depend on many factors, including the school’s management.

Pung said while he is glad the sleeping pod has been well-received, there is still more work to be done.

“We still have some way to go in improving our customer experience and in commercialising our venture. Until that is done, we can’t just be celebrating the interim success and be contented with it,” he added.