The lockdowns and social restrictions that came in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a number of innovations and inventions, many of which appear to be here to stay.

Others, however, have not stood the test of time three years after lockdowns were announced in the United States. Most of these inventions played such a specific role about the pandemic that they became obsolete once it ended.

Here are five pandemic-era inventions that have fallen out of style.

1. QR code menus

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Many restaurants adopted QR code menus that would allow patrons to access the restaurant's menu on their phones by scanning a QR code. During a time when contactless service and delivery were stressed, restaurants around the country eagerly adopted the technology. Many thought it would stay after pandemic restrictions were lifted.

Instead, the practice quickly soured among patrons. Some complained that it took the joy out of dining, and others simply found it annoying. MustHaveMenus, a menu management and printing platform, told the New York Times that it has seen a sharp drop-off in the use of QR codes it has provided.

Kristen Hawley, the founder of Expedite, told the outlet that QR code menus are "almost universally disliked.”

“The bottom line is: The QR code is the antithesis to romance,” Richard Boccato, owner of the Dutch Kills Bar in New York, said. “It hinders communication, and it hinders intimacy.”

2. "Pac-Man" mask with opening for eating

Near the start of the pandemic, the Israel-based technology firm Avtipus Patents and Inventions designed a unique solution for those looking to eat or drink without taking off their mask. The solution was a mask with a remote-controlled opening at the mouth, which would allow users to eat without taking it off.

"You open the mask for a few seconds only to put food inside the mouth… and most of the time when the person is eating, the mask is closed," Asaf Gitelis, the inventor of the product and vice president of the company, told The National.

Reuters described the peculiar mask as operating "a la Pac-Man in the arcade game."

The invention never appeared to enter widespread use in the U.S., and it will have a difficult time catching on now that masks have left widespread use with the end of the pandemic.

3. Instrumental bell covers

Bands and orchestras were not spared by the pandemic and were actually seen by many as especially vulnerable due to the use of respiratory functions in the playing of many instruments.

McCormick’s, a marching band equipment provider based outside of Chicago, decided to tackle the issue by making nylon covers for instruments, Macleans reported. CEO Alan Yefsky said that the design was meant to contain aerosols that could escape from the finger holes in some musical instruments. “We created a bag to fit each [one] with hand access holes in the appropriate places,” he told the outlet.

A description of the product says that the covers do not hinder the sound of the instrument. Designs for ten different instruments are listed.

With the end of the pandemic, the need for a cover to prevent the escape of aerosols appears redundant.

4. Quibi

Perhaps the one piece of technology on this list unrelated to the actual pandemic, Quibi launched in April 2020 with the pitch that it was the future of streaming. The unique platform was designed to stream 10-minute episodes on a phone.

Within six months, the platform had imploded. Explanations of the platform's failure ranged from heavy competition with TikTok, to complaints over the quality of its shows, to poor marketing, the Verge reported. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technology Review listed it as one of the biggest technology failures of 2020.

5. Bumper car social distancing tables

A Maryland restaurant decided to keep patrons six feet apart by inventing bumper car tables with a three-foot radius, keeping everyone six feet apart at a minimum.

“I mean, it’s a novelty; it’s cool. It’s a great photo opportunity for them,” co-owner Shawn Harman told CNN.

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“If you put the two tables together, you can’t get within six feet of each other — and it’s fun,” co-owner Donna Harman added.

With the disappearance of the six-feet-apart rule, the tables now appear to be obsolete.