[Airbus A380]

European Project SEAT, Work Package 4:
In-Flight Interactive Entertainment
European Commission DG H.3 Research, Aeronautics Unit under the 6th Framework Program
contract Number: AST5-CT-2006-030958

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The enclosed environment of the aircraft opts to cause both physiological and psychological discomfort and even stress to the passengers. Many airlines have realized the potential of the on-board entertainment in improvement of customers’ satisfaction level and opted for provision of different games going up to on board quiz show. However, this approach is based on preset concept what customer like and requires a homogeneous passenger group that has similar tastes and desires. At the same time research has shown that the first class passengers are less likely to opt for this type of entertainment than the economy ones. So how to develop a novel interactive entertainment system to address this high end of market contextually entertainment needs at different levels-individual, group and central is becoming a great challenge.

Generally, from the passenger's participation point of view, the entertainment might be divided into two categories:

  • Passive-where passenger does not participate and simply enjoys a chosen form of entertainment that may be simply a noise shield or a relaxation tool.

  • Active- where entertainment provides appropriate interactive patterns for limited passenger exercises that tackle immobilization, bad posture etc. Through innovatively devised controls- this might be linked with appropriate devices and could deliver good health benefits.

This project covers both active and passive entertainments. We aim to develop a new intelligent in-flight entertainment system where both entertainment contents and entertaining interactive patterns are sensitive to
  • passengers’ personal information (personal profile, physiological status, etc.),

  • different fly phases (boarding, take-off, fly, landing)
to address the passenger's personalized entertainment requirements.

This project serves as work package 4 of the European project “Smart Technologies for Stress Free air Travel”. Through closely cooperate with the other ten partners, TU/e, as the WP4 leader, aims:

  • To develop a novel concept for “intelligent entertainment”, where interactive patterns are proposed to promote limited physical exercises and personalized selection of sound, images, etc. facilitate balanced psychological status.

  • To develop an entertainment system that allows interactive entertainment at different levels – individual, group and central.