Aircraft cabins generate vast amounts of data on everything from freshwater use to maintenance details. But most of it remains untapped and is not being effectively combined to extract valuable insights. To change that, the project partners of i+sCabin initially developed a unified communication standard for cabin components. The task was daunting: Every item in the cabin—including coffee machines, lavatory equipment, seats, and LED lighting—had to be compatible with the same standard. i+sCabin unites manufacturers, sub-system cabin suppliers, airlines, and universities to combine their know-how and experience. Together they developed the ARINC 853 Cabin Secure Media-Independent Messaging standard, which is now applicable to every device in the cabin.
But the story doesn’t end here. In 2022, the partners initiated i+sCabin 2.0, marking a new phase in their journey. The idea was to use the new communication standard to combine data from different cabin components to gain new, useful insights. The potential applications of this innovation are vast. For instance, defective devices such as coffee machines or LED lighting can send data to the ground crew while the aircraft is still flying. This would allow the repair team to promptly coordinate spare parts and prepare maintenance work, saving considerable time. Airlines can collect and analyze historical data on food and freshwater consumption so they can predict the amount they will need to carry on certain routes. And suppliers and manufacturers will gain valuable insights into their products’ lifetime use.