New 'ostrich pillow' offers respite from jet lag

The Ostrich Pillow is a new portable device that its inventors say will “enable power naps anytime, anywhere.”

A company claims to have found the ideal product to help travellers counter the ill effects of jet lag and long-haul flights.

The Ostrich Pillow is a new portable device that its inventors say will “enable power naps anytime, anywhere,” including in airport lounges and on planes.

Stuffed with synthetic material – “for maximum performance and lightness”, according to its inventors – the distinctive-looking pillow has a hole in which to put your head, and a mouth hole designed to allow its wearer to breathe easily. It also has two side holes where you can store your hands – if napping at a table in a library, for example.

The concept was developed by Kawamura-Ganjavian, an architecture and design studio with offices in Madrid and Lausanne.

Among other products, the company has also been responsible for developing the “ear shell” (a “sound enhancing device” that is attached to the ear), and a solar plug for charging portable computers.

The Ostrich Pillow has been described on the technology web site CNET as like “a giant garden squash gone soft”, while another reviewer for the Digital Trends website wrote: “We can only wonder how the pillow holds up on sweat and heat retention”.

Its creators argue that it genuinely works, saying: “We have tried it in airports, trains, aeroplanes, libraries, at the office, on a sofa and even on the floor and it’s really wonderful.”

The Ostrich Pillow will go into production if its fundraising targets are met. The company is currently trying to collect $70,000 on Kickstarter, a funding website for creative business ideas. The tally of pledges so far is slightly more than $35,000 with 23 days remaining.

因为倒时差和长途飞行困倦不已？一家公司最新发明的“鸵鸟枕”成为帮助长途旅行者的理想产品。

鸵鸟枕是一款新式便携枕头，发明者说，这将“使人们不管在何时何地都能大睡特睡”，比如在候机大厅和飞机上。

据发明者介绍，这种枕头里面填充的都是合成材料，“使其在最轻盈的状态下达到性能最大化”。造型独特的“鸵鸟枕”有一个圆孔可以把头套进去，另外还有一个露嘴孔，以便让使用者自如呼吸。枕头还有两个边孔，如果趴在图书馆的桌子上小憩，使用者就可以把手伸进去。

这种设计理念是由Kawamura-Ganjavian建筑和设计工作室提出的，该工作室在马德里和洛桑都设有办公室。

该公司还研制过“耳壳”（戴在耳朵上增强音效的设备），以及为笔记本电脑充电的太阳能插头。

在科技网站CNET上，这款枕头被描述为“软绵绵的大南瓜”。Digital Trends网站的另一名网友写道：“我们只是好奇这种枕头能否排出汗液，以及如何散热。”

设计者指出，这款枕头的确很好用，他们说：“我们在机场、火车、飞机、图书馆、办公室、沙发、甚至在地板上都做过实验，这种枕头真的很棒。”

如果能够实现筹款目标，鸵鸟枕将投入生产。这家公司目前正尝试在专为创意商机募资的Kickstarter网站筹款7万美元。目前在该网站的筹款截止日期还有23天，已筹措资金略高于3.5万美元。

Vocabulary:

power nap: 大睡特睡，有效的打盹