Anticipatory Passenger Cabin Control Using Gesture Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers on commercial mobile platforms, such as aircraft, face difficulties in manually adjusting seating, tray tables, and lighting, which can be cumbersome and inconvenient, especially for those who need assistance.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes a camera and gesture recognition technology to anticipate passenger needs by acquiring images, determining activities, and controlling seat positions, tray table adjustments, and lighting based on user profiles and current activities, allowing for automated responses to passenger needs without manual input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual adjustment mechanisms are provided for seat reclining, tray table access, and reading light control, then passengers have the ability to adjust their environment, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the manual effort and complexity required
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by using cameras to automatically detect passenger activities and gestures, then autonomously adjusts seat position, tray table height, and reading light status without requiring manual passenger intervention. The smart control module processes detected activities and executes appropriate adjustments automatically.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment systems with an automated vision-based control system. Instead of passengers physically manipulating mechanical components, the system uses camera imaging, gesture recognition, and automated control algorithms to execute adjustments, substituting mechanical passenger actions with an automated electromechanical system.
2Ease of operation
If automated systems are introduced to adjust seating and lighting based on passenger activity, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control modules
Solution Approach 1:
The smart control module serves multiple functions: it processes camera images, recognizes passenger gestures, determines current activities, accesses user profiles, and controls multiple devices (seat, tray table, reading light). This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single integrated control unit, managing complexity through consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a smart control module as an intermediary between the camera detection system and the passenger environment controls. This intermediary processes detected gestures and activities, references user profiles, and translates passenger needs into appropriate device adjustments, mediating between sensing and actuation functions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system automatically adjusts based on detected activities, then passenger comfort improves, but the loss of information increases due to reliance on automated detection rather than direct passenger input
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring passenger gestures and activities through the camera, comparing detected activities against user profiles and preferences, and automatically adjusting the environment accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures the system adapts to actual passenger needs while maintaining accuracy through continuous verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by proactively adjusting the seating and lighting environment based on detected passenger activities before the passenger would manually request changes. By anticipating needs through activity detection and profile analysis, the system acts in advance, reducing the information gap between passenger intent and system response.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for anticipating the needs of at least one passenger onboard a mobile platform is provided. A passenger seating area for receipt of the passenger includes a seat that has a seat back that moves into a reclined position, a tray table that is operable to be positioned to provide a surface for use by the at least one passenger, and a light source disposed for illumination of at least a portion of the passenger seating area. A camera acquires an image of the passenger, and a gesture control module generates activity data that includes at least one activity that the passenger is performing as recognized in the image of the at least one passenger acquired by the camera. A smart control module moves the seat back, positions the tray table, activates or deactivates the light source and performs combinations thereof based on the activity data.