CABIN INTERIORS
Sky
trials by JANE HOBSON
Diehl Aviation is part of Boeing’s 2019 ecoDemonstrator program that takes tech from the lab to the sky to test the latest industry innovations
The Boeing 2019 ecoDemonstrator 777 is testing 50 innovative technologies for galleys, seats, lavatories and more
As
tech suppliers race to keep up with the demand of modern travelers, smart and intelligent cabins are on-track to become the norm of the future. Whether its solutions that improve safety, reduce fuel use and emissions, or enhance cabin amenities, galleys, seats and lavatories, the latest innovations aim to improve the challenges facing airlines, passengers and the environment today. But, before these smart technologies can solve anything, they must be tried in the sky. The Boeing ecoDemonstrator Program is perhaps one of the most well-known tech-testing initiatives in the aerospace industry today. The program, created in 2010, accelerates innovation by taking promising aircraft technologies out of the lab and testing them in the air. A different aircraft is used each year as a flying test-bed to evaluate projects. Since 2012, the program has tested 100 technologies on five aircraft, and more than one third of the tested innovations have been classified as ready for implementation. Announced in July, the 2019 ecoDemonstrator 777-200 is testing 50 technologies, including shape-memory alloy parts from NASA, as well as a variety of connected cabin technologies that make galleys, seats and lavatories smart, monitor cabin conditions such as temperature and humidity to facilitate automatic adjustments, and use organic LED displays on bulkheads and in the ceiling to inform and entertain passengers. Innovations from KID-Systeme, Etihad Engineering,
18 | PAX TECH | FEBRUARY 2020
Diehl’s eSmart Galley monument is equipped with multiple sensors, an Air Refrigeration Unit and a newly developed smart panel that allows the crew to control the galley via a touch display
