Developing and implementing novel products and services in the cabin environment requires a long lead-time. Despite the team’s preference to capture in-cabin data for their research activities, there is no ready solution for deployment in commercial flights. Embedding sensors on aircraft seats is technically and operationally challenging, curtailed by international data privacy laws and regulations, and requires regulatory approvals for aircraft certification.

The aim of this project is to simulate passengers’ inflight experience during a long-haul flight. In order to achieve this, the cabin will be designed to the specifications for a given segment of SIA’s aircraft. The simulator environment will be designed in a way that it can be configured to include a galley, business class section, and toilets.

The team will leverage on smart sensor technology for collecting data from the cabin environment and passengers. As part of the discovery process, the team will explore and experiment with possible locations within the cabin where sensors could be deployed and the types of data that can be measured, including but not limited to seat embedded sensors to detect posture and behavioural patterns, biometric data such as heart rate, temperature, posture and body position data, and floor sensors to detect movement and activities.

Current product offerings for cabin seats in the civil aviation sector are generic and lack interactive capabilities beyond the inflight entertainment system. There is a need to revolutionize innovation in cabin seat offerings, especially for potential application in the new ultra-long-haul flights and next-generation aircraft, tapping on scientifically-backed frameworks to move beyond cosmetic enhancements, towards meaningful and impactful improvements to seats with reference to ergonomics, biomechanics and other physiological factors

This project seeks to determine quantitative factors which affect in-cabin comfort and sleep; develop new insights and targeted strategies for improving existing products and services; and generate target measurements and specifications for prototyping of comfort-enhanced cabin seats. New specifications & prototypes developed from this project will lead SIA’s engagement with seat and aircraft manufacturers as SIA works on its next-generation aircraft programs.

The project seeks to establish a framework for defining and measuring cabin seat comfort (i.e., development of a Comfort Matrix), which can be used toward developing data-driven enhancements in seat design that optimize passengers’ comfort and inflight experience. The research will involve measuring both qualitative and quantitative aspects of passengers’ comfort, and applying this knowledge to generate new specifications and designs for enhancing cabin seat comfort.

The targets of this project are to establish a novel data-driven Comfort Matrix for defining and measuring cabin seat comfort, using qualitative and quantitative datasets, and to use these data to generate specifications that drive SIA’s design and development of enhanced cabin seats and product/service offerings for improving comfort on ultra-long-haul flights and next-generation aircraft.

Sleep quality is a major determinant of passengers’ overall flight experience, especially on long-haul flights. However, good sleep can be difficult to achieve. Sleep is a highly personalized behaviour, in which there are substantial individual differences in sleep preferences (e.g., sleeping position, firmness of the sleeping surface, type of pillow and blanket). Other barriers to restful sleep and positive mood in the cabin include exposure to light and noise, lack of privacy, and difficulty finding a comfortable position. In principle, customizable design features and services can be offered to remove or reduce these barriers. Improving passengers’ quality of sleep will lead to a more positive experience, with benefits for SIA with respect to customer satisfaction and reviews, prestige, and attracting and retaining customers.

This project aims to facilitate restful sleep by helping SIA to implement science-based approaches to improve passengers’ comfort (e.g., improvements in seat design, lighting, and services) and adopting practices that minimize sleep disturbances and jet lag.

The goal for this multi-phased project is to improve qualitative and quantitative measures of sleep, wellness, and comfort in SIA passengers, hence providing a competitive advantage for SIA in service excellence.

The targets of this project are to establish novel, data-driven matrices for defining and measuring inflight sleep quality, using qualitative and quantitative datasets, and to use these data to generate specifications that drive SIA’s design and development of products/services that improves passengers’ sleep and wellness. The team aims to optimize the sleeping environment in a way that can be adapted to suit the sleep preferences of each passenger.

Today, the concept of a connected cabin is limited only to F&B ordering via the IFE system. Current development focuses on pre-emptive maintenance and safety related solutions which is relatively simplistic and does not have direct interfaces with passengers. There are limited solutions to bring service personalization to passengers within a connected cabin solution.

This project aims to develop a novel, intelligent system that autonomously anticipates passengers’ needs and communicates feedback and suggested interventions through a platform that integrates with existing cabin systems, inflight entertainment system and crew service protocols.

The target of this project is to develop a “connected cabin” that enables targeted and/or personalised service delivery through inflight services, inflight entertainment and/or cabin systems induced by passenger’s actions/motions and well-being sensors, without revealing intrusive and private personal information.