Aircraft interiors supplier, Jamco Corporation, has released details of its next-generation ‘Metamorphic’ aircraft lavatory, designed to make air travel more inclusive and enjoyable for passengers with reduced mobility (PRMs). The lavatory forms part ‘Jamco Vision 2030’, an ongoing collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Japanese national research and development agency for air and space.
PRMs requiring total assistance – some wheelchair users for example – can find it difficult to use the onboard lavatory during flights due to the space being too narrow for their caregivers to enter the lavatory and provide assistance. The inclusive ‘Metamorphic Lavatory’ concept can be converted when required, to combine two adjacent lavatory units and a connecting cross-aisle, to create sufficient space for a PRM and caregiver to use the lavatory, without necessitating a reduction in seat capacity for the airline. A win-win!
So how does it work in practice? When a PRM informs cabin crew that they wish to use the lavatory, crew can manoeuvre the lavatory into expansion mode, with the door of the lavatory unit and the internal partition moved together, creating space for a PRM to get close to the toilet in their on-board wheelchair while also providing space for two caregivers to stand in supportive positions in front and to the side of the toilet.
The doors block the cross-aisle in order to create a secure, private space. Odour and sound containment, as well as user privacy, are ensured through the use of a partition wall instead of a curtain.
Jamco says the concept can meet a variety of passenger needs beyond the primary function of PRM access. The lavatory includes a changing table for children, which can also support the setup of a simple bed that can serves as an adult changing table, while a small folding shelf above the toilet can be used for ostomy appliances. The multipurpose space is also useful for nursing activities and can serve as a tranquil space to help calm children during flight.
