A team of five students from UDIT, University of Design, Innovation and Technology, has qualified for the final of the Crystal Cabin Awards, the most prestigious competition in the field of innovation in aircraft cabins. Its project, R.A.I.S.S. (Restroom Autonomous In-flight Sanitising System), has been selected as one of the three best in the world in the "University" category.
The project has been supported by Iberia and supervised by Airbus in the framework of a first prototyping phase. The winners of this competition will be announced on 8 April in Hamburg, coinciding with the Aircraft Interiors Expo, the most important trade fair in the aeronautical sector.
The team, made up of Jaime Campos, Mateo Magaz, Guillermo Fernández Arias, Pablo Gil García de Viedma and Antonio Alejandro González, fourth-year students of the Degree in Product Design, started from the evidence that aeroplane toilets often present hygiene problems after several hours of flight due to the high passenger traffic and their constant use.
In this sense, R.A.I.S.S. is presented as an innovative hygiene system that incorporates an autonomous robot that cleans the floor after each use, thus guaranteeing an optimum level of cleanliness throughout the flight.
In addition, the bathroom designed by UDIT students introduces a series of improvements that optimise space and the user experience. These include interactive screens and an island lavatory design that maximises ergonomics and space utilisation.
The solution presented by this UDIT team is inspired by the work of their predecessor students (now alumni) of the Degree in Design, Andrea Bune, David Serna, Marcos Travisano, Diego Cepeda, Javier Sevillano and Antonio Solana.
Since its creation in 2007, the Crystal Cabin Awards have rewarded the most innovative developments that transform the passenger experience and aeronautical technology. This year, more than 50 entries are competing in seven different categories, ranging from sustainable solutions to innovations aimed at improving in-flight comfort.
