Airbus reveals concept cabin for 2050 air travel

Envisioning what it will be like to fly by 2050, Airbus is showcasing its concept cabin, which it says is inspired by nature and features green technologies to make flying a more interactive experience for passengers.

As part of its ‘Vision for Aviation in 2050’, the aircraft manufacturer will be showing its concept cabin to the public at the Le Bourget International Airshow in Paris next week.

Airbus says the aircraft’s bionic structure mimics the efficiency of bird bone with an intelligent cabin wall membrane that will control air temperature and can become transparent to give passengers panoramic views.

Airbus says passengers in 2050 can sit back and enjoy the night sky
when travelling to destinations due to the bionic structure
and interactive membrane of the concept cabin

Personalised zones will replace traditional cabin classes to offer more interactive experiences for travellers, says Airbus, with passengers in 2050 being able to join an interactive conference, play a game of virtual golf, or recharge in a ‘vitalising seat’.

The futuristic cabin will include transparent cabin fuselage, vitamin and antioxidant-enriched air, mood lighting and aromatherapy and acupressure treatments, according to the aircraft manufacturer.

Intelligent interface

Morphing seats can harvest your body heat to power aircraft systems,
such as holographic pop-up pods shown here in the smart-tech zone
of the Airbus concept cabin

The futuristic cabin, says Airbus, will be an “integrated neural network”, creating an intelligent interface between passenger and plane. For instance, it says morphing seats will be able to change to your body shape, while smart-tech features will enable the harvesting of passenger body heat to power cabin features.

In the smart-tech zone, Airbus predicts airlines will gear this area towards the more functional-oriented passenger.

“By offering different levels of experience within each zone, airlines would be able to achieve price differentials and give more people access to the benefits of air travel with minimal environmental impact,” according to Airbus.

It also says the concept cabin will be 100pc recyclable and will feature self-cleaning materials made from sustainable plant fibres.

Visitors to Le Bourget International Airshow in Paris can also experience the Airbus Future of Flight film, a 360 planetarium movie that will be on show at the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace in Paris from 20-26 June 2011.

Photo: Airbus concept cabin – the vitalising zone at the front of the plane features an intelligent cabin membrane that can become transparent to give passengers open panoramic views

Article courtesy of Siliconrepublic.com