Product Summary
The Walking Sleeping Bag is a new take on the traditional sleeping bag with one minor adjustment. Instead of being one oval shaped bag, it now has leg holes that fit like pants. The bottom can be zipped closed, or it can be opened for your feet to slip through to make walking possible.
Relative Advantage / Complexity
There is no complexity involved. Anyone who tries this product should be able to intuitively understand how it functions. It does provide some relative advantage in that while it does not detract from the original purpose of sleeping bags, it adds the ability to be mobile. You can walk around without having to unzip and leave your sleeping bag. While this does add mobility, it does not address other common issues that you would find in traditional sleeping bags. There are no arm holes to hold things, so even if you can move around, you can't do anything. People often have to get out of their sleeping bags to go to the bathroom, and even though this invention allows you to get to the bathroom, there is no zipper down there for you to unzip and you'll have to slip off the entire sleeping bag anyway. One other advantage is the ability to place your legs in more comfortable positions when sleeping, as demonstrated in the photo on the bottom left.
Compatibility
This invention is in line with social norms and is just a slightly adjusted version of an already widely adopted technology, the normal sleeping bag. I don't think there will be any issues for this invention in terms of compatibility.
Adaptability / Reinventability
The Walking Sleeping Bag in general does not have that many options to be adapted any further than the traditional sleeping bag, but it could be adapted to be used in multiple environments and uses. It could be used to stay warm rather than just to sleep, like an extra large onesie if you will. It could add a dimension of fun to the traditional slumber party. I also think it would be a popular product among the hobos that live around Berkeley. It could also be used for camping purposes as well, where being mobile may be an advantage if a bear suddenly attacks your tent.
Observability
The design and purpose of this invention is quite observable. The characteristic that distinguishes it from the traditional sleeping bag is very obvious. In terms of visibility to the general population, it is probably much lower. You rarely have the chance to actually see someone sleeping in sleeping bags, and the opportunity for you to use one yourself is seldom as well.
Conclusion
I think that this technology has a good chance to be adopted. It does not detract from any existing technology, is not difficult to use, and provides specific relative advantage that some people may find useful. However, as its observability is low and low adaptability and reinventability, I think that the adoption rate for this technology will be slow.
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