2024.07.25
Panasonic Group People
Enhancing the airplane passenger experience
Revising conventional IFE systems from scratch: Steven Vazquez
Series:
- North America
Astrova
Aiming for better in-flight passenger experience,
lower environment impact
Ensuring high reliability required of in-flight systems
From idea to mass production
Key person for seat monitor development
Steven Vazquez
Technical Mechanical Engineering Lead,
Panasonic Avionics Corporation
In 2014, after working in food processing and packaging equipment, Steven joined Panasonic Avionics Corporation (PAC), which develops in-flight entertainment (IFE) and communication systems for the aviation industry. He is currently leading various mechanical design projects, including the company’s latest IFE system, Astrova.
Giving form to ideas
From sketch ideas to mass production
“Astrova is an entertainment system equipped with a 4K OLED display and high-performance audio that is driving the evolution of the in-flight passenger experience. Another advantage is its lower environmental impact. Astrova is up to 30% lighter than conventional PAC systems, which helps reduce fuel consumption. Moreover, with its modular design the system can accommodate changes to functional and technical standards by simply replacing modules, instead of having to replace the entire system.
USB-C charging-ready Astrova in Economy Class
The most challenging and exciting parts of my job as a developer is that I am taking what was a sketch idea through to prototype and CAD*, developing it through to testing and final product execution, and going all the way to mass production. It’s so exciting to be involved in all of these related processes to see something that started as an idea finally being onboard an aircraft for our airline customers and their passengers to enjoy. That's what’s cool about my job here at Panasonic Avionics. I've developed Astrova seat monitors in a variety of sizes, from 13 to 42 inches. Many airlines are already planning to install them.”
*Computer-aided design
Never make the same mistake twice
Grasp the overall problem, then find the root causes
“Astrova's seat monitor specifications differ significantly from those of its predecessors. Instead of LCD monitors, Astrova uses flexible Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) displays featuring wide viewing angles and high contrast. Passengers can now enjoy more compelling images. At the same time, mechanical housing materials were reviewed to reduce weight. The change in monitor cover material from ordinary tempered glass to a shock-resistant resin base also helped cut weight.
While Astrova aims to evolve the in-flight experience and reduce its environmental impact through these measures, high reliability is naturally essential. Our airline customers use our products in aircraft that fly at 35,000 feet (10,000 meters or more) all around the world, and they expect our equipment to be reliable and work consistently for ten years or more. In building the new system, we had to start from scratch, including testing and verification. Therefore, from the concept study and early development stages, we worked closely with industrial design companies and other partners. We also defined the technical requirements thoroughly with our in-house engineering design staff.
For example, aircraft seats come in a variety of designs and configurations and pose different installation challenges. As such, our new resin-based cover had to have the same optical properties as a glass cover, so passengers can see clear images regardless of seating position or viewing angle. Durability to withstand many years of flight and use is also critical. Material R&D of this resin to meet these requirements, as well as testing and verification, required an enormous amount of time.
When we encounter issues such as vibration or electromagnetic interference (EMI) during various monitor’s tests, we not only have to address the issue, but understand the root cause to ensure it doesn’t happen again. I spend a lot of time reviewing data, troubleshooting, and problem solving to piece together the behavior that is occurring and arrive at a solution that eliminates the issue and keeps it from recurring.”
Pushing the envelope with US-Japan collaboration
Delivering enjoyable experiences to passengers
“Our goal is to continue to provide reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly IFE systems that deliver an enjoyable experience to everyone.
In developing groundbreaking systems, we emphasize the Seven Principles of our founder, Konosuke Matsushita. In particular, I feel that in order to evolve technology, it is important to have a spirit of Untiring Effort for Improvement, that is, to challenge the limit. In addition, collaboration with the Avionics Business Unit of Panasonic Connect Co., Ltd. in Japan, in other words, Cooperation and Team Spirit is also important in embodying Astrova's evolution of the in-flight passenger experience and environmental impact reduction. We will continue to share ideas, knowledge, and experience between team members in the U.S. and Japan, and push the development of new and attractive systems to the limit. This just makes everything so much better — for our company, our airline customers, and their passengers.”
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