If you've ever felt trapped in a stuffy office space these sleek pods, set for commercial release in April 2015, might just offer you some respite.
Created by product designer and founder of UK firm Orrb Technologies, Lee McCormack, the Orrb is a "wellness and learning pod", which everyone from office workers to military personnel can use. "It basically provides a sanctuary, where people can relax, recharge and work on self development," McCormack tells WIRED.co.uk.
Standing 170cm tall and measuring 200cm long and 100cm in width, the Orrb is a physical device, which comes with an Orrb X subscription service. This allows up to 50 employees or users per Orrb to be issued swipe cards and set up their own personal accounts.
Users can select either a five, ten or 15 minute session designed to induce mental focus, or immerse themselves in a "wellness session" centred around a personalised learning package, which can be uploaded by individual organisations. For instance, on-screen visuals and sound show users how to regulate breathing and offer meditation tips that help people regain their mental focus for work.
Inspired from time spent in Japan and India, Orrb has been in the works since McCormack's student days in the 90s when he studied Social Design at Goldsmiths. "It was ahead of its time back then," says McCormack, who asserts that the market has finally become receptive to such devices.
During that time, McCormack saw office spaces transition from closed to open plan. "I predicted that the interaction would be positive on communication, but without private space, we'd start to have a degradation of people's private space through distraction," he says.
The little-known Orrb device already has its fans. Disney purchased 25 pods in 2008, featuring one in science-fiction film The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. And McCormack has also worked on an engineering partnership with McLaren, with F1 drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Damon Hill using the pods to help with relaxation and focus.
With digital wellness devices such as Fitbit making a name for themselves in the market place, McCormack is intent on following suit and building up a global network of Orrbs. "It's been a gradual process of seeing how corporate culture is adopting the wellbeing of the employee as important enough to be taken seriously," he says. "We're at that stage now where CEOs are talking about opening up to meditation. That's something we wouldn't have seen five years ago."
McCormack's Orrbs are currently being used in an ongoing programme at the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in Washington to help soldiers recover from post-traumatic stress.
Along with its use in corporate environments, McCormack wants to apply Orrb to the medical sector. "We're also passionate about helping with mental health issues," he says.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
