Editor’s note: This article was first published in May 2014. It is a news item about a prototype; the price and market launch were unknown at the time, and the product’s later fate is not covered.
Economy-class air passengers clearly lose out compared with those flying in premium cabins, but several entrepreneurs who graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Israel have developed and patented an invention that at least promises to give these less fortunate passengers some privacy.
It may seem too simple, or even absurd, an idea, since at first glance all we see is a piece of stretchy fabric that covers your field of vision. But these entrepreneurs hope there will be demand for it, contrary to what many readers may think.
The invention, which was featured on the DesignBoom website, works very simply: you just put it in place, and it can be used open or closed. You only need to move the rings to adjust it to the position you want. The product also has an inner pocket for storing items such as glasses or a wallet, and in one of its positions you can use it to sleep “comfortably”.
The photos on DesignBoom show it in both positions: eating in the privacy of your own little booth, watching the in-flight screen, and storing your glasses in the product’s built-in pocket.
For now we do not know what price this product might sell for, or how well the idea will be received by other air passengers. It is a simple idea focused on passengers’ comfort and privacy. Whether it turns out to be profitable is something only time will tell.
As a frequent flyer, do you see a use for this invention? Would you use it? Would it bother you if the person sitting next to you used it?
Further reading
Featured image: Arif Rahman Habibie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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