Could wool change aviation interiors? Designing cabin interiors using wool as the core material could unlock benefits for both passengers and airlines from comfort to warmth without adding weight.
Modulo Comfortable Aircraft Seating
A forward-thinking collaboration from Caon Design Office and The Woolmark Company, Modulo is a revolutionary aircraft seating design that reimagines the future of premium cabin travel.
Modulo’s 3D knitted wool blend membrane transforms aircraft seating to address key issues such as weight reduction and the need for frequent cabin refreshes. With the wool fibre’s natural benefits including warmth and comfort without weight, Modulo is the next step in air travel comfort to challenge the status quo of flight travel.
“Whether exploring the potential of wool’s applications or pushing the limits of design, we’re proud to continue our commitment to partner with forward thinking innovators like Caon Design Office. From comfort to versatility, wool is the premier ingredient for innovative design for the future.”
HOW IT WORKS
With modularity at the heart of its construction, Modulo is made from a lightweight yet robust framework of titanium, aluminium and carbon fibre. Modulo’s foundational structure underpins its distinctive fabric membrane with semi-transparent skin, shaped by advanced 3D knitting techniques to form a wool blend that is structural yet pliable.
Carbon and elastic polymers integrated into the fabric give dynamic flexibility to allow the seat to smoothly transition from an open space to a private enclosure.
Click the dots to discover how this concept intends to integrate lighting, shelving and temperature control into the wool structure.
The translating structure of the seat allows us to experiment with opacity depending on the level of stretch. The wing depolys forward in private mode, obscuring the passenger but not blocking light.
The structure is held together by an underlying lightweight aluminium frame, onto which the wool ‘sock’ or knit is easily attached using a simple zipping or clipping mechanism.
The seat surface itself has integrated wadding for comfort and translates horizontally, allowing the passenger the ability to lay fully flat. The membrane design affords ergonomic benefits.
The predominant use of wool throughout the design gives the added benefits of a material that is hypoallergenic, breathable, flexible, anti-bacterial and sustainable, to name a few.
Potential integration of conductive fibers in the wool allows for further control over the inflight experience, giving passengers the ability to control the temprature of their seats.
Lights can be fitted to the underlying subframe to futher embellish the mood of the environment.
Use of wool in literature pockets as a soft and elastic band to hold the passenger’s belongings in place.
The padded leather footrest is a removable component which clips on and off during refurb.
The brushed titanium console houses the deployable meal table and has other stowage possibilities.
