How can aircraft interior designers eliminate the debris-accumulating crevices and gaps created by high-touch buttons on aircraft seats, while making the cabin environment easier to clean? One option being pursued by Panasonic Avionics is Active Surfaces, which allows for seat and IFE controls as well as information displays and ornate lighting designs to be embedded smoothly and seamlessly into seats, panels or monuments.
Active Surfaces are achieved through the layering of an ultra-thin non-porous laminate placed over a graphic display. There is a broad range of options available in the designer’s toolkit of finishes, including everything from wood- and mirror-effect to metal- and leather-effect.