Sleep Capsules

More ZZZZZs for less $$$$$s

Procrustes, a character in Greek mythology, stretched or lopped the limbs off unsuspecting wayfarers to make them fit the bed in his lair. Texas Businessman Charles McLaren, 40, has an only slightly less ingenious plan for solving housing problems. His proposal: the sleeping module, or MAC1 (for mini-accommodation center), a 4-ft. by 4-ft. by 8-ft. plastic capsule fitted out like a miniature hotel room.

The concept of the sleeping module came from Japan, where 100 budget-price "capsule hotels" have become popular among thrifty business travelers and other customers since they were first introduced in 1979. The MAC1 is spacious enough for Western frames and comes with extras not available on the more spartan Japanese models. The basic module, made of plastic lined with fire-resistant foam, costs $2,500 and comes with a twin-size foam mattress, overhead light and climate-control unit. More lavishly equipped versions, costing up to $3,900 each, feature color TV, radio, telephone, tape deck and hot-drink dispenser. Despite design improvements, McLaren concedes, it may be some time before Americans awaken to the benefits of capsule accommodation. So he plans to cater to a captive market: overcrowded prisons, where a rapid expansion of facilities has been ordered by the courts. MAC1 systems, claims McLaren, will cost about $8,500 an inmate, compared with as much as $60,000 a prisoner for conventional cells.

McLaren also has hopes of selling MACs to government agencies, where potential applications include military field camps, ship and submarine bunks, disaster relief shelters and space stations.

Eventually, he plans to try marketing capsules for use in college dorms, truck stops, airports and even ski resorts. He explains, "You go to Vail to ski, not pay $ 120 a night to sleep in a king-size bed. If you stay in a module for even $30 a night, you have a lot left over for ski tickets."