Much has been made over the last several years in automotive about the strategic efforts OEMs are taking to bolster vehicle occupant experience in the face of increased competition, consolidation and a shifting regulatory landscape. But automotive isn’t the only sector that is focused on keeping up with an evolving customer base and marketplace; aviation is as well. An industry mantra is “improve the passenger experience.”
From in-cabin experience to cutting emissions, the aviation sector is going to huge lengths to find ways to keep pace with other transportation sectors. And while things like alternative fuels and amenities such as in-flight showers have gained headlines, one area in particular is quietly changing the way OEMs deliver better experiences to their passengers: nanotechnology.
As fuel efficiency and the passenger experience become more valuable components of air travel, OEMs have begun pouring money into initiatives that can help them drive even the most incremental performance gains for their aircraft. And nanoscience is proving to be a key ally in helping aviation companies and airlines deliver on these expectations, goals and demands.
With that in mind, here are a few ways in which the nanoscience revolution is taking hold in aviation.
Glare and Lightweighting
Arguably one of the most visible ways nanotechnology is improving the aviation passenger experience is in the world of windows. Glare is renowned as one of the foremost pain points for aviation passengers today. Yet, oftentimes passengers only have one of two options to cope: deal with it or slide down the mechanical shade and lose the entire view in the process. However, thanks to nanotechnology-driven technology advancements – such as SPD film used in “electronically dimmable windows” (EDWs) – aviation OEMs and aftermarket companies now offer “tunable” windows that allow for daylight and glare management without compromising passenger views. In addition, because this nanotechnology film is embedded right into the window substrate itself, it cuts down significantly on the number of components needed for aircraft cabin shading, and thus also helps to reduce weight.
Noise and Heat Reduction
Sound and heat reduction in aircraft cabins has come on leaps and bounds in the last few decades. However, despite the acoustic and thermal insulation gains made through new mechanical components and fuselage materials, noise and heat levels are still a big thorn in the side of the passenger experience. Through nanotechnology innovation, however, OEMs are finding ways to address these issues in new creative ways. For example, beyond tunable tinting, OEMs are also using electronically dimmable films to create additional sound and heat barriers in the window openings – which are notorious culprits when it comes to an uncomfortably warm aircraft on the ramp, and an annoying loud cabin during flight. In addition, airlines are hard at work in their R&D of nanomaterials – such as groundbreaking polymers, clays and other components – to formulate materials that are more impervious to sound.
Interactivity and Next-Gen Design
As travel experience offerings become more expansive and ambitious in other transportation markets, consumers are understandably looking for similar experiences in air travel. For example, we are quickly approaching a time where automotive glass will turn into a projectable screen, and all-glass observation rail cars. And unfortunately, we have pushed many of the traditional materials that are used in aviation as far as they can be. Compounding these challenges is that while automotive, for example, can embrace a great deal of creative latitude, aviation OEMs are significantly more hemmed in in terms of design due to much more restrictive regulatory and other environments. Therefore, we are seeing OEMs begin to experiment more with nanotechnology to improve the passenger experience – such as touchscreens and greater material durability in private aviation – so that they can keep pace with other transportation sectors and deliver next-gen design as well as they can.
Aviation is experiencing one of its most disruptive and exciting periods in its history. And with that, technology innovation will likely be a battleground for aviation OEMs, with nanotechnology likely being one of the most embraced and contested frontiers. So watch this space.
Michael LaPointe became Research Frontiers' director of marketing for Architectural Windows and Displays in March 2000 and was promoted to the position of vice president - marketing in March 2002. LaPointe, a graduate of Brown University with a B.A. in Organizational Behavior & Management and a B.A. in Psychology, worked in a marketing capacity for IBM Corporation in the early 1980s. He subsequently founded and developed several companies involved in the application and licensing of new technologies for various consumer products. During that period LaPointe also worked as a management consultant, where in 1994 he began his relationship with Research Frontiers, assisting it with its marketing strategy. He has extensive experience in licensing new technologies, both as a licensor and a licensee, and in bringing products using new technologies to market.
