This Bizarre Anti-Distraction Device Was Cutting-Edge Technology Back In 1925

With TV, social networks, and Netflix all enticing us to give them the attention they don’t deserve, how can we concentrate on our work? It is even more challenging these days when so many of us have to work from home.

Balancing work and family life is never easy, but when both are concentrated in the same space, it becomes almost impossible. Offices are not much better, with so many people around you, passing by and sharing office rumors.

You suddenly catch yourself listening to office chitchat about Sally’s divorce or John’s squash injury. Not much attention is left for the tons of merchandise you have to sell to your buyer (who is, in fact, on hold while you consider an appropriate waiting period before you approach Sally).

All this makes you want to shut out the world and concentrate on your work. Surprisingly, this is not a modern problem. Even at the beginning of the previous century, people were struggling with the same issues we are experiencing today.

That’s how the “Isolator” was invented. This bizarre-looking contraption offered complete separation from the noises and distractions of the world around you. Take a look:

An inventor by the name of Hugo Gernsback created the contraption in 1925. "The Isolator" was dedicated to tackling outside distractions.

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The Isolator was made from wool, cork, wood, and felt.

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Hugo Gernsback was a Luxembourgish–American inventor, writer, editor, and magazine publisher. He is best known for his publications, including the first science fiction magazine.

His contribution as a publisher was so significant that he is sometimes referred to as "The Father of Science Fiction," alongside H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.

The annual awards presented at the World Science Fiction Convention are named the "Hugos" in his honor.

The user had an oxygen supply for breathing.

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The eye holes were intentionally made small to help the user focus on the area in front of them and prevent peripheral vision distractions.

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This is Hugo Gernsback, the inventor

Wikipedia

The Isolator first appeared in a science fiction magazine. Although the idea garnered a lot of attention, it wasn’t well accepted by the general public, probably due to the claustrophobic feeling it induced.

However, the concept of secluding ourselves from the outside world has never stopped being popular. That’s why companies are devising new ways to achieve that. One of them is the interesting Helmfon Privacy Helmet from the Ukrainian company Hochu-Rayu.

The Isolator Helmet, equipped with speakers, a microphone, and a display, creates a private environment by blocking out the lights and sounds of a busy office. Although it is much more modern than the original Isolator, it still has a somewhat bizarre appearance.

This is a modern version, "Privacy Helmet" by Helmfon

Interesting Engineering

We all sometimes need to shut the outside world off. Yet even modern devices seem a bit awkward. Until a more practical solution is invented, we have to rely on our own abilities to ignore distractions. And judging by the pace at which companies are developing new distractions, we better hope a solution for eliminating them comes quickly.