Australian firm SleeperTech has made its debut at AIX with seat enhancing technology, specifically focusing for now on improving the passenger experience within the economy class cabin.
“We have to introduce something new and novel to greatly improve the experience,” declares the company’s managing director and chief executive, Gordon Croudace. The resulting product is a ‘sleeper seat’ aimed at operators of medium-to-long haul services.
The three key elements of the sleeper seat start at the top with a self-articulating headrest, which moves with the head and partially supports its weight, taking pressure from the shoulders. “This actually cradles the back of the neck and moves with you in a way that no other headrest in the market does. It sits in the nape of the neck, in what Asians call ‘the heavenly pillar’.
”At maximum, most headrests give you six positions. This is infinite, so you can go anywhere you like. Up, down, depending on your height.” Croudace explains.
When it comes to reclining a seat, studies have shown that the optimum angle between the backrest and the pan is 135 degrees. “If you think about that in economy with the standard pitch arrangements, it might be considered a dream. But we were very excited to hear this, because we can provide that angle in economy,” he adds.
“Effectively, instead of continuing to recline backwards, encroaching on the people behind, we have invented a different mechanism that slides down to the correct position with full back support.
“The third element is the articulating thigh support pad, which pops up from under the front of the seat and is lightly sprung to accommodate each person’s preferred position. It offers considerable flexibility and support under the thigh,” says Croudace.
SleeperTech is aiming to license the product to major seat manufacturers that provide new economy class seating. “Those undertaking refurbishment programmes can also apply this technology to existing seat platforms to create the sleeper seat,” Croudace confirms.
