Automated flight attending

Automated flight attending involves the use of automation to replace some of the tasks, that are currently done by flight attendants.

Examples

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Food delivery

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In 1965, Martin Limanoff created one of the earliest automated food delivery systems, consisting of a square box that was designed to travel up and down the aisle along a monorail track on the cabin floor. However, it is not known if this was ever used on commercial flights.^[1] In 2015, Sell GMBH, a German division of aeroplane equipment company Zodiac Aerospace, filed a patent for a food delivery mechanism that would distribute food using automated conveyor belts, allowing passengers to access their food on demand by pressing buttons on the in-flight entertainment system, causing the food distributor to rise out of the floor.^[2]

Food order

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Many In-flight entertainment systems, such as Virgin America’s ‘Red’ playbook and Panasonic Avionics’ eX2, allow passengers to order food or drink using the IFE touchscreens. A passenger selects one of the meal options available for purchase, swipes his or hers credit card through the in-seat ordering system, and then a flight attendant brings the meal to his or her seat.

Drink dispensing

[edit]

Introduced in 2012, The SkyTender is a robot bartender which can dispense more than 30 different drinks, including soft drinks, coffee, wine, and cocktails, at the touch of a button or two. The SkyTender took its first flight on the German airline, WDL Aviation, going from Cologne to Palma, Majorca.^[3]

In popular culture

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Premiered on May 2, 2015, comedy show Saturday Night Live featured fictional automated flight attendants on the airline company Virgin America.^[4]

References

[edit]

^ Kim, Soo (4 February 2016). "In-flight dining innovations: the sushi automat in the sky". The Telegraph.
^ "In-Flight Food Service Company Looks to Sushi Automats for Inspiration". 6 May 2015.
^ "SkyTender puts automation in airplane aisles".
^ "Virgin Atlantic Robot Flight Attendants as Imagined by Saturday Night Live". 3 May 2015.

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v t e Aircraft components and systems
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Flight controls	Aileron Airbrake Artificial feel Autopilot Canard Centre stick Deceleron Dive brake Dual control Electro-hydraulic actuator Elevator Elevon Flaperon Flight control modes Fly-by-wire Gust lock HOTAS Rudder Rudder pedals Servo tab Side-stick Spoiler Spoileron Stabilator Stick pusher Stick shaker Trim tab Wing warping Yaw damper Yoke
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Avionic and flight instrument systems	ACAS Air data boom Air data computer Aircraft periscope Airspeed indicator Altimeter Annunciator panel Astrodome Attitude indicator Compass Course deviation indicator EFIS EICAS Flight management system Glass cockpit GPS Head-up display Heading indicator Horizontal situation indicator INS ISIS Multi-function display Pitot–static system Radar altimeter TCAS Transponder Turn and slip indicator Variometer Yaw string
Propulsion controls, devices and fuel systems	Autothrottle Drop tank FADEC Fuel tank Gascolator Inlet cone Intake ramp NACA cowling NACA duct Self-sealing fuel tank Splitter plate Throttle Thrust lever Thrust reversal Townend ring War emergency power Wet wing
Landing and arresting gear	Aircraft tire Arrestor hook Autobrake Conventional landing gear Drogue parachute Landing gear Landing gear extender Oleo strut Tricycle landing gear Tundra tire
Escape systems	Ejection seat Escape crew capsule
Other systems	Aircraft lavatory Auxiliary power unit Bleed air system Deicing boot Emergency oxygen system Environmental control system Flight recorder Hydraulic system Ice protection system In-flight entertainment system Landing lights Navigation light Passenger service unit Ram air turbine

Examples

Food delivery

Food order

Drink dispensing

In popular culture

See also

References