Skift Take

Oh, Brave New World. We can’t wait to try it on for size.

Airbus wants to put your head in a bowl to ensure you have no more Total Recall of your dreadful flight experience.

The aircraft manufacturer has now filed US Patent 8814266 B2 for a Head-Rest design which converts into a full-immersion, multi-sensory, sensory-deprivation, virtual-reality, headrest-hat-astronaut-helmet thingie.

According to the aircraft manufacturer:

During aircraft flights, certain passengers have periods when they are bored either during a wait phase preceding take-off or following landing or during a cruise phase. Moreover, it is known that aircraft flights generate stress for certain passengers.

To solve this problem, activities are currently proposed onboard the aircraft. Thus, music is broadcast or films shown, access is given to video games or, again, catering services are ensured.

However, these various occupations are in some cases insufficient to relieve boredom or stress.

An aim of the invention is to improve in this respect the comfort of aircraft passengers.

Airbus Headrest for a passenger seat for an aircraft, US 8814266 B2

Airbus Headrest for a passenger seat for an aircraft,
US 8814266 B2

Thus, the helmet in which the passenger houses his/her head offers him/her sensorial isolation with regard to the external environment. This isolation can be more or less pronounced according to the configuration of the helmet and the functionalities which are associated with it. This isolation allows the passenger to better profit from some of the distractions offered, for example listening to music, watching films, etc. If the passenger is sensitive to stress, this isolation, possibly associated with one of the above-mentioned activities, allows him/her to more easily calm down and relax. In all cases, the invention improves therefore the comfort of the passengers and the pleasantness of their flight.

According to the embodiments, the isolation can be a sound, visual and/or olfactory isolation. It can be total or partial for any of these aspects, or several of them or all.

It’s like Clockwork Orange, but on a plane. And it doesn’t even have to be an orange—it could be any scent, apparently. Clockwork Raspberry!

We’ve got the ad at the ready: This is your IFE. This your IFE on Airbus. Any questions?

Because the helmet-thing comes with a handy glass screen protecting your face, you won’t even notice when the passenger in front of you splashes you with soda because you locked them in with your Knee-Defender.

Nice, no? Then again, it might cause an electrical short. More cabin safety risks courtesy of the Knee Defender folks, and more spaced-out innovations from Airbus.

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Tags: airbus, in-flight

Photo credit: Airbus Headrest for a passenger seat for an aircraft, US 8814266 B2 Airbus

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