Airbus moves innovation needle

3D printing, virtual reality, just some of Airbus latest innovations

Nearly 110 journalists from around the world gathered in Hamburg for the annual Airbus Innovation Days Press Conference at the Airbus facilities in Finkenwerder. Over the course of two days, the company’s top executive leaders interacted with some of the globe’s most influential journalists, who witnessed how Airbus is undertaking the latest innovation initiatives.

Additive layer manufacturing, or 3D printing, is a world in which Airbus has been fully immersed ever since 2014 when it equipped a titanium 3D-printed cabin bracket into the A350 XWB. Just two years later, Airbus has designed, built and tested an entirely 3D-printed unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV), nicknamed Thor. Thor, an acronym for Test of High-tech Objectives in Reality, represents a revolution in aircraft component manufacturing and design, offering a more timely alternative to production processes that produces less waste material compared to current machining. Few other companies have taken the initiative that Airbus has in this space. In fact, several 3D-printed airworthiness-certified parts are already flying on Airbus aircraft.

Another Innovation Days highlight was Airbus’ advancements in virtual reality. The Airbus Innovation Centre in Hamburg has incorporated ideas from the gaming industry, film and its own software engineers to transform interior cabin design into a state-of-the-art virtual reality experience. By wearing glasses affixed with tracker balls, which are linked to cameras, the customer’s location is traced and the setting is adapted as he is able to wander around the cabin freely. This will revolutionize the process of creating a unique cabin look, one of the most important aspects for an airline’s branding.

But the press conference was not all business. The unique presentation format, which was followed by an open floor for questions and answers, allowed for a dynamic interaction between journalists and the likes of Airbus CEO & President Fabrice Bregier, COO for Customers John Leahy, and COO Tom Williams.

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For more information:
Lindsy Caballero
Communications Specialist, Latin America and the Caribbean
Lindsy.caballero@airbus.com