Dutch designer Manon Kühne won a Crystal Cabin Award for her “Headrest,” which was her Delft University of Technology thesis project, created with Zodiac Aerospace’s Human Factors and Ergonomics Lab.
It’s a headrest/blinker that goes over the back of your cattle-class seat, creating a kind of head-supporting hammock that works better than one of those cervical collars, and has the side effect of blocking out your peripheral awareness of your seatmate and their mouth-open chewing, nose-picking, eye-booger eating, ear/pit scratching, etc.
It’s only a prototype, with no public path to rollout, but Zodiac owns the rights to it and does a lot of sales into passenger aviation channels, so maybe. I can’t wait for in-seat tranquilizer darts and/or cold-sleep coffins, myself. Alternatively there’s always my “Ninja Air/Freegan option meals” proposal.
HeadRest fits onto your seat back and sports two wings that fold out, creating a U-shape around your head. Stretchy fabric spans the wings, forming a “hammock” to support your head and keep you from sliding onto a fellow traveler who’s already uncomfortable enough, thank you.
A Clever Headrest That Could Make Flying Actually Bearable [Alex Davies/Wired]