In the city of Ulm, located between Stuttgart and Munich, a team of six specialists in programming, design, product development and implementation is testing survival capsules. The innovative solution is designed to help people affected by homelessness take shelter on the coldest nights. The structures provide a place to sleep, Internet access and space for a pet.
Technology and design for survival
Made of wood and steel, the cabins stood on the city's streets as part of tests. The waterproof and windproof structures, which can accommodate two people, are designed to protect those without other shelter from the cold, wind and rain.
Interviews with Ulm residents about the capsules
Photo: Ulmer Nest
Equipped with photovoltaic panels, the structures have access to wireless internet and offer phone charging. Devoid of video surveillance, however, they are equipped with a number of sensors to ensure users' privacy. Any opening of the cabin triggers sensors that inform city services that the cabin is in use. This information is intended by the developers to help keep the capsules clean and operational, and to provide assistance and safety to its users.
Late tests
Tests currently underway are expected to provide answers to questions related to the possibility of implementing the product on a wider scale. The physical weather protection properties of the users are being studied, and interviews and evaluations are being conducted.
Tests were also conducted on a prototype
Photo: Ulmer Nest
Due to restrictions related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, testing began later than expected. This in turn meant that the capsules could not be tested during the coldest nights of the ongoing winter.
A planned stopgap
The creators of the "Ulmer Nest" project emphasize that it will not replace a stay in a traditional shelter or dormitory, but is an alternative to sleeping outdoors. The designers call the capsulesan"emergency option of lastresort" that should only be used in sub-emergency situations.
Photo: Ulmer Nest
The project is aimed primarily at people who, for various reasons, cannot be placed in a regular homeless shelter. This may be due to physical or mental problems. The use of local night shelters is often hampered by paperwork and the lack of official registration in Ulm. Not all such facilities also accept people with dogs, which some homeless people do not want to leave alone overnight.
The capsule, as intended by its creators, is therefore not conceived or designed as a replacement for regular housing. It is a measure of last resort to protect people from physical injury or even freezing to death on the coldest nights. The question is whether the wider introduction of this type of solution, will not slow down processes aimed at systemically dealing with the crisis of homelessness and offering real, targeted solutions.
