I once promoted the Golden Suitcase Wheel, an award to be presented to simple inventions that took too long to be invented. Today I finally saw something new worthy of the award. Wired has a write up about a two-level armrest for airline seats. The idea being that it takes up no more space than any other armrest, yet the people sitting on each side of it can each use it at the same time.
I'm sure some medical professionals will soon be complaining that one or both people will have to sit at an improper angle for good posture. I suppose it would help if the people sharing the armrest are different heights, so the taller person could use the upper rest. Or they could just make that seat a little higher.
There are plenty of other places it could work. The article mentions movie theatres, and lots of waiting rooms could use it too. But it also points out the dubious benefits compared to the cost, which makes the business case doubtful. That's pretty depressing, and makes me wonder what other good inventions are sitting on the shelf out there because they don't lead to immediate profit.
I also wonder what not-so-pleasant inventions will get through because they do have a business case. Like, just how closely could you pack people into an airliner, comfort and claustrophobia be damned? Instead of two-level armrests, you could have two-level seats.
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