This article was taken from the July 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
What do you get if you cross a soap bubble, an acrylic wash-basin and a traditional Russian toy?
A bowl-shaped baby bed, according to St Petersburg-based product designer Lana Agiyan.
Driven by a desire to create functional, unique appliances for babies, mother-of-two Agiyan created the bed for children up to five months old. "The baby is almost floating inside this acrylic bubble, and you can see its every movement," she explains.
The Bubble Bed, which doubles up as a portable bathtub, is self-cleansing and anti-odour -- it is coated with a special liquid polymer containing nano-titanium dioxide, which, when exposed to sunlight, begins to ionise and degrade dirt. The polymer also "heals" scratches in the surface which could potentially harbour germs. The bed can be tilted to 17 degrees and is stabilised by layers of Plexiglas in the base which act as a weight centre. "I was inspired by a nevalyashka, a Russian tumbler toy -- when pushed, it returns upright," says Agiyan, 28. The mattress is pure wool and is stuffed with buckwheat husks, a natural material that is antibacterial and antifungal.
Currently, Agiyan is working with Indian furniture designer Fenny Ganatra, who has agreed to manufacture the Bubble Bed through her brand, Bounce. Next in Agilyan's product pipeline? A night-light that helps babies sleep better by projecting colours and pictures on the ceiling. Agiyan says, "Everything I do is inspired by my own kids' needs."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
