Effect of scent on comfort of aircraft passengers

The smell of mandarin influences aircraft comfort

Smell could influence the perceived comfort/discomfort of aircraft passengers over time, and different types of smells have different effects on passengers. The preferences on scents are diverse, which highlights the need for personalization in aircraft cabin design.

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Workshop IQPC

Köln, Februari 19th 2020

The COMFDEMO project has been going on for a couple of months now. One of the project goals is to share the results on a regular basis. One channel we use to share our results are workshops. Simultaneously workshops are a great way to get feedback and insights from the others. Therefore, Dr. Vink  facilitated a workshop during the IQPC Köln on the 19th of February.  

Participants attending this workshop were specialists in the field of seat design. Dr. Vink started off with a short presentation about our recent insight in the factors influencing in-flight comfort. The factors we have defined can be grouped in two categories. The categories are: 1. Seats (Dimensions, Colour, Stiffness, Inclination) and 2. Environment (Vibration, sound/noise, temperature, odor/smell, CO2, light) 

Next, three groups were created and asked to discuss the aforementioned factors influencing in-flight comfort. Moreover, the groups were asked to link the factors to seating comfort of self-driving cars. Specifically, they were asked to discuss what should be altered in these interiors to optimize the defined factors for self-driving cars. Finally, they were asked to select a top-3 most important and least important factors.

The results

Group 1 selected from the seat as most important: inclination, stiffness and motion comfort (preventing movements that restrict tasks). For the environment this group selected noise, smell and functional interior. The latter means that it should facilitate activities. 

Group 2 selected a top four for the seat: dimensions, color, stiffness (of the cushion) and inclination . For the environment they chose: vibration, roominess (of legroom) and microclimate. Microclimate can be defined as the climate around the human body.  

Group 3 selected for a combination of seat/environment: dimensions, temperature and hygiene/cleanliness. The latter was a clean feel and a clean smell. 

Overall, Roominess/dimensions was mentioned by all three groups. Seat Inclination, seat stiffness, Microclimate/Temperature  and Vibration/Motion in two. Other factors were mentioned only once. Thus, we can conclude that the attendees defined the following factors as most important:  

  • Roominess 
  • Seat inclination 
  • Seat stiffness 
  • Vibration 
  • Climate 

The results from this workshop will be used to further improve the research program and the design of COMFDEMO. 

Great 6 month progress discussed at consortium meeting in Nottingham

Last week our second consortium meeting took place at Nottingham Trent University. We have been working on the ComfDemo project for six months now.

Some members made the journey to Nottingham in a turboprop aircraft and were able to take inflight measurements. The findings were analyzed and discussed with the experts attending the meeting. We learnt that more research and refinement is needed with regards to our methods. We realized for instance that the frequencies and amplitudes of vibration and sound measured using the jacket will need augmenting with precision measurements. This puts requirements on each type of sensor we use as well as the positioning of the sensors. Placing the sensors directly onto the human body is most realistic for measuring personal thermal comfort levels. However in order to get more accurate readings on vibration levels it seems that the sensors need to be located on the cabin floor.

Developing the perfect comfort model is not going to be easy. In order to measure the factors that influence comfort levels during a flight we need to keep the questionnaires short. They have to be completed several times during a flight, at specific stages. In order to not miss any data the right (amount of) questions have to be asked, at the right time.  

Inflight we measured sound levels above 80dB. In the environmental chamber at NTU we listened to several turboprop recordings being played at different dB levels. We took into account that perception in the chamber is not in line with quantitative measurements because context influences perception. However at a certain level the volume and level of discomfort was experienced as too high.  

The oxygen level, temperature and humidity were set to a level comparable to the climate in Tokyo in the summer. We will use this chamber again at a later stage to calibrate our measurement equipment.

During the meeting we also discussed the ethical issues surrounding data processing. We talked about personal data protection and which data we are legally allowed to collect from our participants. We are well aware that an important part in this process is informing our participants on what happens with their personal data. The project is running according to planning and the consortium seems to work as a great team with complimenting skills that are invaluable for the completion of this challenging project.

The consortium worked six months on this project and had their second meeting. Some members of the ComfDemo took a turboprop flight on the way to this ComfDemo meeting. On the way to the meeting inflight measurements were taken and discussed with the experts during the meeting. It showed that more research and refinement of the measurement is necessary. For instance, the frequencies and amplitudes of vibration and sound were not accurate enough. The location of the sensor is also very important. Putting the sensors on the human body is close to comfort, but on the cabin floor is better for recording the real vibration. dB measurements showed levels above 80 dB.

The ComfDemo consortium members listened to several turboprop recordings played at different dB levels in the environmental chamber of NTU. It was noted that the perception in the chamber is different from quantitative measurements as the context plays a role, but of course at a certain level the volume was experienced too high.  

The oxygen level, temperature and humidity were set to a level comparable to Tokyo as some candidates for the Olympic games were training in the room. We will use this room to calibrate our measurement data later.

We also discussed ethical issues, like which data are we allowed to measure of persons at different flights and how should we inform participants.

The project is running according to planning and we found out that we really have the right partners for tackling this challenge. We also agreed that it isn’t easy to make the perfect comfort model and measure the comfort influencing factors during a flight. The questionnaires should not be too long if you complete it several times during the flight and at the same time we don’t want to miss data. Measuring is challenging not only for the position of the sensors, but also regarding the requirements for each sensor.

  • Environmental chamber
  • Group photo