The Twister Economy Seat - Spine Moulding Comfort
This month FactoryDesign, a London based airline design company has released a new economy seat design. Yes another one. This one, it is claimed on the website, is based around the movements of the human spine.
Claimed as a groundbreaking improvement in passenger comfort for those of us destined to spend much of our flying time in the economy section, the seats are designed around a central spine with ‘ribs’ and as the passenger shifts their eight the seat twists and turn to compensate and provide a more comfortable seating posture.
Designed by Adam White after a 14 hour long haul trip between Japan and the UK, White explained to Aircraft Interiors International ‘There has been considerable debate about economy class seating in the media, and many concepts which don't actually seem to have considered the needs of the passenger.'
Through the flexibility of the concept the designers believe this will be the first true innovation in passenger comfort in economy for some time. The seat tackles the problem of a build up of pressure with its twisting movement, going along way to alleviating conditions that risk Deep Vein Thrombosis.
This is not the first seat that the company has designed. Asked by Zodiac supplier to British Airways, FactoryDesign came up with a pod style concept dubbed the ‘Air Lair’. A double-decker configuration, the design seemed futuristically cool if not practical for all passengers, particularly those with some mobility issues.
Nonetheless, the new economy Twister seats seem far more usable and if the prototypes are anything to go by could be one of the better seating innovations offered up in the past few years. Most of us would agree that economy section seat designs need work.
See also 'Welcome To Sardine Seating'
Images: © FactoryDesign
