Examined: The Predictive Nature Of Collins Aerospace's Award

Taking the overall passenger experience to new heights.

This year's Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) provided some incredible insight into what passengers have to look forward to for the future of flight. From Air New Zealand's long-awaited SkyNest economy class product to premium seating for new ATR aircraft, there's much to be excited for in the coming years.

Part of the show includes the "Crystal Cabins Awards" competition with various categories, such as Cabin Concepts, Cabin Systems, Health & Safety, IFEC and Digital Services, Sustainable Cabin, University (as in, ideas from student teams), and, as we’ll explore further, Passenger Comfort. Bringing their A-game to AIX for onboard experience is none other than Collins Aerospace, who won the Crystal Cabins trophy for their "Intelisence" design. But what exactly does it do?

As humanity plunges further into the realm of artificial intelligence and machine learning, the aviation industry will not go unchecked. "Intelisence," as a product, is able to compile data from a collection of sensors and use AI to provide predictive suggestions. Ranging from expected maintenance, resource management, and ideal passenger travel experience propositions, Intelisence hopes to be an all-in-one solution to keep operators and airline employees in the know.

For example, say you’re at 37,000 feet enjoying your favorite inflight beverage. Flight attendants could be equipped with iPads (or other similar devices) that receive information from a sensor that informs them you’ll be done with the drink soon. To ensure you’re not stuck with an empty cup on the tray table or stuffed inside the seat pocket in front of you for a while, a cabin crew could arrive promptly to help dispose of it or offer a refill just as you finish drinking.

Collins Aerospace hopes to take this concept and scale it not just into a "smart cabin" that would facilitate a seamless passenger experience but create "smart aircraft." The same technology that can predict the needs of those onboard can also inform airlines of all the different resources available on the aircraft, data on waste collected, and if something needs to be checked by a maintenance crew.

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Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, is the world's largest supplier of aviation and air defense products. They are by no means new to innovative aircraft cabin designs, as they boast a dozen other Crystal Cabins awards on their website. Just part of their product catalog includes seating for all classes, from economy through first, and the company touts the millions of their seats flying each day globally. Some of their premium products include the AirLounge seat, featured on Finnair's Airbus A350 and A330 business cabins, as well as the Elements suites, as seen on Starlux's A350 first and business class section.

This year Collins Aerospace didn't just compete for the Passenger Comfort award either; they were a finalist for the Health and Safety and Cabin Systems categories with their Pothos and Q-Tech designs. While we are thankful for the incredible filtration systems that make aircraft cabins relatively low-risk for certain airborne viruses, the Pothos air ionizer aims to deodorize cabin air, creating quality levels that meet or exceed pristine outdoor conditions.

And for their Q-Tech design, the industry player expects to use sound-absorbing materials placed strategically throughout the cabin to somewhat soundproof the aircraft. Compared to wall panels alone, Collins Aerospace's Q-Tech material installed on galley equipment and seats could prove up to ten times as effective at mitigating noise.

Sources: Raytheon Technologies/Collins Aerospace, Cision PR Newswire, Avionics International

With a background in Chinese language and marketing, Justin merged his passions for air travel and communication to become a writer for the Simple Flying team. He closely monitors industry changes on a global scale, with particular interest in the East Asian and North American markets.