Cue the “Spaceballs” Dark Helmet jokes. The Helmfon is oversized headgear designed to block out noise and help you concentrate at the office.
Sometimes you want to block out the world so badly, you don’t mind looking totally ridiculous while you do it. While most people would probably reach for noise-isolating headphones, Ukrainian design firm Hochu rayu wants to offer you an entire oversized helmet to hide out in.
The Helmfon, brought to our attention by Designboom, looks like a sleeker version of the headgear worn by Dark Helmet, the Darth Vader knockoff from “Spaceballs.” Hochu rayu designed the conceptual prototype for workers who need a break from the hustle and bustle of the office.
Hochu rayu says the helmet can be worn on the shoulders or mounted to a wall or ceiling. It uses foam to dampen external sounds, offers a place to hold your smartphone and comes with speakers and a microphone so you can work and stay productive. Best of all, you can’t hear your co-workers chatting away.
The design company came up with the Helmfon while trying to work out ways employees can Skype at their desks without bothering their co-workers.
This isn’t the first time a company has come up with an unusual way to help you check out from the surrounding world. The head-swallowing Ostrich Pillow is one famous example, but you can also order a pop-up privacy tent called the Pause Pod.
The Helmfon is just a prototype right now, but Hochu rayu is working on product testing and hopes to offer a series of Helmfons for sale, though there’s no firm timeline for release.
