In the new era of social distancing, French engineer Florian Barjot debuted the 'PanBay' concept, a removable separation kit that can easily be adopted to make airplane seating more hygienic. The design decreases the potential spread of virus with a lateral protection panels and makes use of overhead air nozzle to ensure airflow points directly on individual passengers, to create a "bubble" of protection.
The PlanBay concept was designed to prevent contagion from one person to another in the airplane without having to follow the recommended 1 meter physically distancing, which as Barjot points out "is hardly achievable in economy class, even with an empty middle seat." While the solution is effective, it cannot be used on emergency exit aisles and serves as a temporary solution during the outbreak and recovery phase.
Image Credit: Florian Barjot
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Hygienic-seating-airplanes
- The concept of removable and adjustable seating elements to provide hygienic seating solutions in airplanes creates an opportunity for innovation in the aviation industry.
- In-flight Protection
- Increasing the focus on in-flight protection against the spread of infectious diseases can lead to disruptive innovation opportunities in the travel industry, specifically in air transport.
- Personalized Ventilation
- The use of personalized ventilation systems in airplanes can provide tailored comfort and increased protection for individual passengers, disruptive innovation opportunities exist for manufacturers in the aviation industry.
Sectors Adopting This
- Aviation
- The concept of hygienic airplane seating can create innovation opportunities for airlines who prioritize in-flight protection and comfort to attract customers.
- Travel
- Innovation in travel can emerge from focusing on hygiene and safety measures, especially after the pandemic.
- Ventilation Systems Manufacturing
- The need for personalized ventilation systems on airplanes presents disruptive innovation opportunities to manufacturing companies in the aviation industry.
