RAVE and Lufthansa Technik reimagine the passenger control unit
Just as there has been an overuse of touchscreens in automobiles — with drivers forced to take their eyes off the road for key functions — the use of touchscreens for aircraft seat and IFE controllers can have unintended consequences: making the platforms less accessible for the blind and those with physical impairments.
Enter RAVE Aerospace, which used the occasion of the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg to put forward a new concept for a passenger control unit (PCU). Utilizing technology from Lufthansa Technik that’s already found in the VVIP business jet space, the PCU is notably centered on improving accessibility and the overall user experience.
Featuring a dual-dial configuration, the left wheel serves as a menu selector that enables the guest to flick through key controls such as lighting, gaming, seat adjustments, or content selection. The right wheel acts as a proportional adjustment dial, allowing the passenger to fine-tune the experience — in this instance, the brightness level.
Demonstrating the unit to your author at AIX, RAVE Aerospace vice president strategy, marketing and corporate development Ben Asmar noted that the jog wheel approach allows the user to have a “tangible physical interface rather than just a screen.”
“It still allows me to do all the things that, say, a normal video PCU would do, but it gives me some level of tactile feedback as well,” he continued.
While the device is still a relatively early concept, RAVE is eliciting feedback from airlines and designers, asking them: is this something people are interested in? Does it make sense? Does it feel natural?
“But even when you think about the future of gaming onboard aircraft, this is a perfect form factor for a game,” Asmar noted.
RAVE is studying various installation configurations, like embedding the controller into the seat console to ensure it “feels like it’s part of the seat environment rather than just an add-on somewhere else,” he said.
Brea, California-baed RAVE’s partnership with Lufthansa Technik is part of a broader push within the company to link arms with hardware and software specialists that are excelling at their craft — rather than reinvent the wheel, if you’ll pardon the pun.
In that vein, RAVE also showcased another collaboration with Lufthansa Technik at AIX: the ability to physically access digital magazines, newspapers and books via a premium seat’s side console.
Because the content is shown with large, easy-to-read text, the solution is more accessible than accessing media titles on an IFE screen that might be further away from the guest’s face in business and first class.
The big, embedded screen can also serve as a controller for accessing other IFE content or indeed the seat settings, providing a dual-screen experience. And it can be paired with RAVE’s wraparound screen concept to provide an even more immersive experience.
“We’re working with Lufthansa Technik on what the art of the possible is,” Asmar enthused.
Related Articles:
- RAVE sets the scene for deeply immersive inflight experiences
- How Media Carrier personalizes PaxEx even on connected jets
- Southwest Airlines’ support for the blind on AUS-PIT impresses
- Boeing and Airbus develop tactile placard standard for aircraft
- AIX 2026 shows accessible air travel has reached tipping point
- RAVE supercharges IFE development with new OS and App Marketplace
- Op-Ed: Airlines should follow United on seatback IFE accessibility
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