Airbus Windows May Soon Receive Touchscreens

Touchscreens are being implemented practically everywhere you look. From grocery stores and mall kiosks to small businesses and hospitals, more and more establishments are leveraging the power of touchscreen. While many airlines have also implemented touchscreen devices into their cabins, Airbus is taking a step in a different direction, hoping to use integrate them directly into their windows.

The French-based commercial airplane manufacturer recently filed a patent for “an interactive aircraft cabin window display system and method for interactive visualization of information.” Assuming the company  turns this vision into a reality, travelers could tap their windows to perform various functions. It’s not uncommon for airlines to include touchscreen displays in the back of their seats, allowing the person behind to use the device. This would negate the need for such devices, instead implementing the touchscreen technology directly into the windows.

So, how does the touchscreen window work? According to FlyerTalk, it consists of three separate devices that detect what the traveler is looking or pointing at, including an OLED touchscreen and a front-facing camera. The camera would watch and see the traveler’s facial expressions and eye direction, using this information to determine what he or she is looking at. The third piece of equipment would be an “environment monitoring” camera installed outside of the aircraft.

“The entire interactive window would consist of three devices that detect what a traveler is looking or pointing at. This includes a transparent OLED touchscreen and a passenger-facing camera that detects what the individual is looking at. An environment monitoring camera would be positioned on the outside of the aircraft, providing travelers a wider view of the world beyond their window,” wrote FlyerTalk.com.

So, what is the purpose of a touchscreen airplane window? The report suggests that it would allow travelers to seek information on landmarks and geographic regions simply by looking or pointing at them. If you’re flying over a city and want to learn more about it, for instance, you could simply tap the area on the window. This would tell the computer to bring up more information about the area, presenting it on the display.

Would you use a touchscreen integrated into an airplane window?