Brooklyn based inventor Jamie O'Shea has created the Vertical Bed, which is exactly that- a "bed" that will allow you to sleep vertically. Whilst the awkward contraption doesn't look as comfy as what we might imagine a bed to be, it does logistically allow a person to sleep in a standing position ... and no, we're not sure why either.

The Vertical Bed can support a person's body weight by simply fixing the two base legs to a subway ventilation grate. I am not too sure how many people would be willing to take a nap in the middle of a busy street, but if you are someone who is partial to stand-up kips in public places, you'll be happy to learn that the bed easily folds into a portable briefcase. The kit also comes with noise-cancelling headphones, opaque sunglasses, and free standing umbrella. To demonstrate that the bed does actually work, O'Shea tested it out on Broadway and 33rd Street in New York for a 40 minute nap at 6:00 pm, then repeated at four hour intervals.

Vertical Bed folds into a portable briefcase (Photo: Substitute Materials)

When not sleeping in the street, O'Shea works on designing semantic (study of meaning) machines. He is currently working on the Caloris Basin, a new way to concentrate sunlight. The basin uses inexpensive materials to produce temperatures high enough to cook food or boil water. The project is in collaboration with Ezer Lichtenstein and Bjorn Quenemoen and a working basin can be found at Rokeby farms in upstate New York.

The Vertical Bed is currently not available for purchase - too small a niche perhaps?

Via Gizmodo