Airbus files patent for jetlag zapper

Airbus, that robot-friendly aeroplane company, has filed a patent for a device that generates "electromagnetic interaction in an airplane". No, this isn't some kind of revolutionary fly-by-magnets technology, it's actually a slightly oddball idea intended to solve the most common of airborne travel ailments: jetlag. The device, which in the event that it is ever put into service, will be integrated into passenger seats, supposedly has the capability to "prevent and reduce the occurrence of jetlag, reduce the danger of passengers suffering from thrombosis, and increase general well-being by promoting relaxation, sleep and stress reduction". Ever seen those stone magnets that people put around their wrists to "increase blood flow?" This device looks like it would operate the same away, but in an electromagnetic form. We won't question the validity of using magnets to keep people healthy, but we are puzzled at the logic behind introducing randomly fluctuating electromagnetic fields onto packed airplanes. Surely (don't call me Shirley!) the thought that this could potentially interfere with the pilot's ability to fly the plane crossed the minds of the researchers over at Airbus? Especially considering the common "please turn off your cellphones" announcement that pilots make at the beginning of every flight (FYI, cellphones emit electromagnetic fields). Maybe a wiser course of action would be to focus on cheaper in-flight Wi-Fi, keeping passengers' minds off the fact that they're floating round a tin can far above the world, resulting in less stress and therefore, by Airbus's own logic, reduced jetlag.

[Mat @ Aug 24th 2006 7:17PM]

Sounds like something that would be negative usefulness

[Chris @ Aug 24th 2006 7:24PM]

May cause you to be temporarily paralized. "There,(Dusting hands off) that'll fix those damn terrorists."

lol, I like the comment "Surely (don't call me Shirley!)" I think he was anticipating comments on that.

[Crazylink @ Aug 24th 2006 7:26PM]

Might want to blow up that autopilot just to be sure.

[peter @ Aug 24th 2006 7:47PM]

jetlag is annoying tho.

[stev @ Aug 24th 2006 8:08PM]

that might not be good for mp3 players or laptops
i can imagine it now

airplane attendant: please turn off all electronic devices during takeoff and landing or we will create an electromagnetic field around your seat to fry them

[heffster @ Aug 24th 2006 8:23PM]

Oh God, Someone help us! The terrorists have turned the pilot into a blow up doll!

[teo @ Aug 24th 2006 8:51PM]

Electromagnetic fields have got to be safer than snakes on a plane.

[Cade @ Aug 24th 2006 8:56PM]

I for one welcome our electromagnetic plane seatbelt overlords.

[Taylor Alexander @ Aug 24th 2006 9:20PM]

They could just put on reruns of [insert bad tv show] on the TVs and everyone could fall asleep early.

But yeah, this is genious. Know why? Even if it doesn't work, they can pretend like it does and say "Our airline is the only airline with devices designed to completely end jetlag"
It's true. That's what their designed to do. Whether they work or not isn't the point, so long as they can put that line on a commercial.
Damn capitalism.
-Taylor

[Taylor Alexander @ Aug 24th 2006 9:23PM]

damn, i meant "they're"

[Tom Atlers @ Aug 24th 2006 9:35PM]

Wow, that's what I call an article. Airplane references left and right, followed up by a final David Bowie line. Good job keepin' journalism real engadget.

[Keith @ Aug 24th 2006 9:40PM]

Ah man, that picture is classic!

[Pedro @ Aug 24th 2006 9:56PM]

The planes are already heavily shielded against EM interference so this wouldn't pose any new threat in that regard.

The pic did make this story better.

[Vince @ Aug 24th 2006 10:14PM]

It's actually "stop calling me Shirley" :D Neat idea though.

[psema4 @ Aug 24th 2006 10:25PM]

Being someone that suffers from more than one sleeping disorder, isn't this what Melatonin is used for?

I would like to see some research (I don't want no damn patents!) that shows this would actually be effective.

[John Doe. @ Aug 24th 2006 10:49PM]

"prevent and reduce the occurrence of jetlag, reduce the danger of passengers suffering from thrombosis, and increase general well-being by promoting relaxation, sleep and stress reduction"

You want to reduce stress? How about putting planes in the air that don't require me to stow my bag in the ass of the passenger in front of me? Seriously I flew to Pittsburgh via NWA. My fracking laptop case wouldn't fit in the overhead compartment and its a pretty damn small case. The airlines are getting cheaper and cheaper by the day. I don't have any problems spending a bit more on my ticket if it means better accommodations.

PS- And NEVER let cell phones work on a plane. You want me to assure that I will fly one and only one airline? Have that airline make an upfront commitment to never install the hardware to allow cellphone to work on their planes and I'll spend the extra $100+ to take their flight if it means not listening to bob take about his hair plugs and what his wife should make for dinner when he gets home.

[GetAGrip @ Aug 24th 2006 10:51PM]

Eh...it's an aluminum can, not a tin can, isn't it? But yes, I'd rather they put power outlets on every seat and wi-fi so I can surf the Net on my 10+ hour trans-Pacific flights and not suffer through another screening of .

Oh, and Airbus, you might want to think about getting your products out the door on time (cough, cough, A380...cough, cough,Spruce Goose 2) and revitalizing your product lineup (A350, wherefore art thou, A350?) before you start screwing with passenger's bodies.

Just my 2 cents of sense...

[Frangible @ Aug 24th 2006 11:02PM]

Uh huh, and is there any medical studies showing any efficacy whatsoever for this stuff working?

Better stick with snakes on a plane... if you're running from a snake, you're not getting deep vein thrombosis.

[HarryC @ Aug 24th 2006 11:23PM]

What about people with pacemakers?

Sounds like an idea that wasn't entirely thought through.

Do you think the EM field would be enough to garble the info on the magnetic strip on your boarding pass?

[psema4 @ Aug 25th 2006 12:12AM]

Maybe not your pacemaker or boarding pass, but, uh... anybody test their new handy-dandy biometric passport through one of these planes lately?

[Dylan Cross @ Aug 25th 2006 12:19AM]

How is this supposed to get the snakes off the plane again?

[psema4 @ Aug 25th 2006 12:27AM]

I dunno. Somebody spammed my phone with it, so I haven't been interested in watching it. Haven't seen any trailers or gone looking for reviews.

[Adam Pflug @ Aug 25th 2006 12:54AM]

From what I understand cell phones are not actually a problem because of interference they create for the components on the plane. The problem is actually that they are able to see so many cell towers when you are up in the air, and they switch towers so often, that they cause incredibly heavy loads on cell networks when left on.

[deex @ Aug 25th 2006 12:59AM]

"magnets... increase blood flow." Old wifes tale / crackpot science.

The iron in human blood is NOT ferromagnetic, therefor magnets cannot affect bloodflow. If blood were, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) would be dangerous.

A "healing" magnet is rated at 300-500 gauss. The magnet in an MRI system is rated at 1-2 teslas (1 tesla = 10,000 gauss). If blood were ferromagnetic, what do you think a 20,000 gauss magnet would do?!

[dusty @ Aug 25th 2006 5:53AM]

Cell phone use was originally not allowed on planes due to an FCC regulation. Because planes travel so fast, a cell phone will jump from tower to tower and causes high loads. Only later did it become an FAA regulation.

[JJK CT @ Aug 25th 2006 7:21AM]

To answer deex question
It would pull the blood out of the body through the shortest line of resistance. I would wonder, would it pull through each pore of the body or tear through at every point. Either way, after the MRI is turned off, it would be quite a freakin mess.

Up until possibly my comment this was the perfect piece of geeky, funny, engadget journalism

[Don Boughton @ Aug 25th 2006 8:10AM]

I'm an Electrical Engineer and I've worked on amplifiers used in MRI's and I tell you, the magnetic field is strong. I concur that blood is not ferromagnetic. Another thing about "randomly fluctuating magnetic fields". The stones that people strap to their waistes are static magnetic fields. A static magnetic field is DC and does not propagate as an Electromagnetic wave. AC magnetic fields are the only ones that can cause EMI (Electromagnetic Interference). So if they use DC current, there is no "randomly fluctuating magnetic field". Sorry. I say, if they want to do it, why not? Surely!

[Mr. Nosuch @ Aug 27th 2006 9:42AM]

Why not just install crystals or pyramids over the seats? Cheaper to deploy, less maintenance, and equally as effective.

[David @ Aug 30th 2006 11:56PM]

The cell phone notice is actually an FCC requirement, not FAA.