„Airbag desk“ for tired office staff

Berlin – A German engineer has designed a desk that converts into a giant pillow at the push of a button for flagging office workers in need of a quick snooze. „At work I was often tempted to just lie down and take a quick afternoon nap,“ said Matthias Knigge whose „airbag table“ will soon be on display at a Hamburg art gallery. „The airbag table is designed for everyone who works hard at their desk and needs to take a quick nap,“ he told Reuters on Thursday. A prototype of the desk, made out of walnut, looks perfectly ordinary until a small button is pressed underneath. This activates a fan that inflates a bright orange airbag, which unfolds through an opened panel on the desktop.

But Knigge, a 32-year-old designer from the northern town of Ottensen, said he hoped his invention wouldn‘t encourage people to work even longer hours. „The aim isn‘t to keep people chained to their desks 24 hours a day,“ he said. „I think people should get away from their desks at some point and get a life.” (DW)