SkyFlix
In-Flight Entertainment System for Jets

SkyFlix is an entertainment system in a box, designed exclusively for midsize and small private jets. Passengers can stream video content to iPads while onboard, and simply recharge the iPads when they are re-inserted into the box.

This custom design required specific size constraints based on the dimensions of the private jets they intended to be placed on. Because the device requires both holding and charging the iPads, Tomorrow Lab spent six months on electrical and mechanical engineering, industrial design, and branding to ensure that the SkyFlix met the needs of passengers.

01 — Electrical Engineering

While the design is sleek, there is an enormous amount of sophisticated electronics packed inside the Skyflix system to provide video streaming and charge. It houses 8 Apple iPad Minis, a WiFi server, and a micro-sized computer for streaming up to 1000GB of video files. On-board Nickel–metal hydride batteries (NiMH) allow the box to recharge the iPads even while the power provided by the jet is absent. This is a crucial feature that reduces the downtime of the system between flights, since no power is available to recharge the iPads when the jet’s engines are off.

02 —Product Architecture & Industrial Design

The electronic systems are also met with clever mechanical design. A custom retract and eject mechanism – like those you find in expensive italian cabinets – are built-in to accept and present each iPad. Push the iPad in to charge, then push it again to eject. A sliding metal tambour door conveniently hides and protects the iPads when the system is not in use or is being transported between planes. Skyflix weighs 26.8 pounds (12.2 kg). To indicate level of charge, LED light pipes surround each iPad. The iPads can be gang-synced using one cable on the rear of the box to charge all at once.

03 — User Research & Material Selection

Our team toured multiple private jets in New Jersey and New York to provide a proper basis for design inspiration. In order to create a smooth look and feel for a device that lives in the cabin of a private jet, Tomorrow Lab followed this tour with extensive material research from soft goods such as leather and luggage to materials that are common on plane interiors like wood and steel. The finished prototype incorporated both soft and hard materials to maintain the brand SkyFlix envisioned.

SkyFlix
In-Flight Entertainment System for Jets

01 — Electrical Engineering

SkyFlix — In-Flight Entertainment System for Jets

02 —Product Architecture & Industrial Design

Skyflix In-Flight Entertainment System for Jets

03 — User Research & Material Selection

SkyFlix In-Flight Entertainment System for Jets