> News >  

Gentex Announces Dimmable Windows on Airbus Aircraft, Smart Cabin Lighting Concept & More

January 9, 2020  | Written by Kristina Velan
Author Photo

Share

Gentex CES
Mike Behm, director of Sales, Aerospace at Gentex, at CES 2020. Image: Kristina Velan

Dimmable Windows: From Boeing to Airbus

Gentex announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week that its electronically dimmable windows (EDW) will be installed on Airbus aircraft. Airline and fleet details will be announced at Aircraft Interiors Expo in April.

Gentex Electronically Dimmable Aircraft Windows

Director of Sales Mike Behm shares the latest developments in Gentex’s electronically dimmable aircraft windows. If you are at EBACE, stop by booth W123 to see it firsthand. #EBACE19

Posted by Gentex Corporation on Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft are currently equipped with Gentex’s EDWs, while the 777X will feature Gentex’s latest-generation EDWs, which darken twice as fast and become 100 times darker than previous versions. They also prevent heat from entering the cabin.

Smart Lighting: So Bright and So Clean

Gentex is also displaying its smart lighting solution at CES. The technology was codeveloped with the Mayo Clinic for surgical procedures – an integrated machine-vision camera directs light according to voice commands, hand gestures or a hand-held tracking device. Essentially, it allows you to “put light where you want it and not where you don’t,” explained Mike Behm, director of Sales, Aerospace at Gentex.

This could be useful during in-flight meal service, Behm suggested. “Instead of having to turn the cabin lighting on and wake everyone up…you just have a light that follows the cart. The flight attendant would have a sensor on their uniform that the system would recognize. In a big aircraft, you’d have multiple systems,” he said. “It could also follow a business-class passenger as they move around their suite.”

Since the light is made up of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) wavelength, it has disinfecting properties, making it ideal for operating rooms or lavatories in aircraft.

Cabin Sensing: Health & Safety

Gentex’s in-cabin sensing system could be used during boarding to detect a new disease strain or explosive device. “Most compounds cause a change in voltage, so they change the potential atmosphere,” Behm explained. “Every chemical compound that can be verified has a different voltage signal, so you start to map that out and you can sense what’s there.”

Iris Scanning: In-Flight ID

Gentex’s iris scanning technology, developed in partnership with Delta ID, could be used to identify passengers at their seat for a personalized in-flight entertainment experience. It could also be used for boarding, as it’s a more secure technology than facial recognition, according to Behm.