Research

The aircraft cabin as the most competitive factor in passenger aviation has an outstanding development potential which can be efficiently exploited by joint and intensified research and development efforts of both, aircraft manufacturers and their peer-to-peer customers, the airlines. Within this process it is challenging to include the end customer, i.e. the travelling passenger, to determine a longterm and sustainable R&D strategy. Moreover it is important to classify and prioritize R&D activities for the cabin, because of diverse concerns and needs have to be met.

However we can feel confident: the luxury and comfort topics in the cabin of today will be the basic requirements of tomorrow! For being able to operate profitable in-between customer orientation and cost in a steadily propulsive area of technical possibilities it is necessary

  • to study, analyze and quantify customers' request for a better benchmark of possible benefits and thus expected profitability,
  • to do an effective technology-scouting for a sustainable strategic direction and for a decision on the most convenient implementation date for solutions to satisfy customers needs, and,
  • to proficiently classify the maturity level of latest available technology for decision-making on the lead time and for gaining knowledge about the performance of a technology.

The R&D work of the Institute of Aircraft Cabin Systems pursues the goal to give support to manufacturers and suppliers in industry to be able to adapt their roadmaps in time. Thus the institute is active in technology-scouting as well as in study and assessment of novel technologies, exploring the limits of performance of up-to-date topics, such as:

Cabin Electrical Systems and Lights
  • Power Generation, Energy Harvesting, Energy Storage, Energy Management
  • Lighting Technology, Displays and Signage, Solid State Lighting, (LED, OLED, PLED, EL)
Cabin Electronics, Communication-, Information and Entertainment-Systems
  • Portable Devices for Distinct Man Machine Interaction
  • Near Field Communication (NFC)
  • Wireless and Optical Data Transmission Technologies in the Cabin
  • Sensors, Actuators, Mechatronics, MST, MEMS
Cabin and Passenger Process Chains including Safety & Security issues  
  • Control and Guidance of Passenger Flows
  • Increase of Services and Enhancement of Comfort
  • Electronical Documentation of Processes
  • Identification and Monitoring of People
  • RFID in Air Transportation Systems (Catering, Cargo, Baggage, eTicketing, eDocument)