What qualifies as “extreme” when we talk motorcycle design? Is it the use of exotic materials? The fitment of the latest gadgets to turn it from one motorcycle into something entirely different? Or is it just a design so perfectly executed that it makes the other models pale in comparison?
Admittedly, the term is indeed subjective, yet it doesn’t make it any less valuable. Radical design and performance have long gone hand-in-hand with motorcycle building, be it from Honda’s special HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) wing to a builder working in subzero temperatures in Russia.
A few years back, we looked at a dozen bikes that blew us away, and we thought it was time to go for another round. With that in mind, here are another 15 examples that we consider among the most extreme motorcycles on the planet—each a game-changer, a leader in its field or just something so outrageous that it qualifies by default. You might want to wear a helmet.
PHOTO : PHOTO: COURTESY OF HONDA MOTOR COMPANY, LTD.
Honda RC213V-S
In 2015, Honda released the approx. $262,000 RC213 V-S. Based heavily off Marc Marquez’s 2013 MotoGP World Championship–winning RC213 V, the V-S remains the closest thing anyone can buy to a real MotoGP racer for the street.
The motorcycle was neutered when it came to America, limited to just 75kW so it could get through testing. But Honda also released a full HRC Sport Kit for the V-S that unlocked all 160kW from the 1000cc V-4. Couple this with HRC’s best possible production chassis, and you have a sports motorcycle without peer.
PHOTO : PHOTO: COURTESY OF VYRUS.
Vyrus Alyen 988
Italian custom stalwart Vyrus is not known for subtlety, with bikes sporting its trademark double swingarm/hub-centre-steering suspension set up. But the Alyen 988, released in March, is over-the-top even for Vyrus.
A Ducati Panigale 1299 motor is wrapped in a magnesium Omega chassis and cloaked in load-bearing carbon-fibre bodywork that, when layered in the uni-direction format, has the appearance of high-quality woodgrain. The entire package rolls on carbon-fibre Rotobox wheels. With the look of a frilled-neck lizard transformed into a motorcycle, the Alyen 988 won’t be for everyone, but we’re very glad shops like Vyrus still exist.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MV AGUSTA MOTOR S.P.A.
MV Agusta F4 LH44
Formula 1’s Lewis Hamilton has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with MV Agusta and, over the years, has released a number of motorcycles bearing his famous LH44 label. But none have come close to the visual feast that is the MV Agusta F4 LH44.
Based heavily off the WorldSBK race replica F4 RC—in fact, it is the same bike, just with incredible paint—the LH44 retails for nearly twice the price as the F4 RC at approx. $95,000. However, when you see an LH44 in the flesh, any thoughts of it not being worth the extra cash go out the window. The red and black paint is a true masterpiece from MV Agusta, so much so that it would almost be a shame to get it dirty by riding…almost.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF INDIAN MOTORCYCLE.
Appaloosa: A Nitro Drag racer From Indian Motorcycle
Commissioned by Indian Motorcycle Europe’s head office to race in first the Sultans of Sprint series and later the Baikal Mile ice sprints in Siberia, this Appaloosa is about as far removed from the donor machine as you could get.
A dustbin fairing encapsulates a custom chassis, swingarm and motor that’s got an extra 22k shot of nitrous at its disposal when flying down the strip. With tyres wrapped in studs and 97kW on hand, this has to be the most extreme Indian build we’ve seen for many years.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CUSTOM WORKS ZON.
The ‘Stealth Crow’ BMW K 1600 B by Custom Works Zon.
The K 1600 B is basically a brattier version of the gentlemanly K 160 GTL touring motorcycle from BMW, but even the stock 1600 B can’t hold a candle to the machine emanating from Japan’s motorcycle house, Custom Works Zon. What’s impressive is that every part you see here bolts to a standard BMW chassis. Designed to give the look of a monocoque, the ‘Stealth Crow’, as CW Zon calls it, is an otherworldly design exercise to see just what can be done with a standard chassis. The result is a breathtaking journey in carbon-fibre manufacturing, and a machine that looks unlike anything else on the road.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF HAZAN MOTORWORKS.
The Musket by Hazan Motorworks
Based in Los Angeles, custom builder Max Hazan designs machines that have been flooring the motorcycle industry for the past few years, and he continues to carve out an artistic niche few can match.
One of Hazan’s most famous designs is the Musket. It’s built around two 500cc Royal Enfield single-cylinder motors cast together by Ohio-based Royal Enfield motor modifier Aniket Vardhan. Every other piece you see here, aside from the wheels and tires, was created by Hazan, including the tank, fenders, frame and seat unit. Made to order, of course, the model is rumoured to run for approx. $256,000.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF LAZARETH.
Lazareth LM 847
French custom dynamo Ludovic Lazareth gets his kicks by making truly outrageous designs, but none have been as outlandish as the LM 847. Built around a 350kW V8 Maserati motor with four single-sided swingarms, rim-mounted brakes and hub-centre steering, the LM 847 is essentially a leaning quad bike, just one with about 10 times the power. At 2.6-metre in length and weighing 400kg, the Lazareth LM 847 easily takes the mantle as the most extreme quad bike we’ve ever seen.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF BARESTEEL DESIGN.
Stingray by Baresteel Design
Electric motorcycles are very much in vogue with the world’s custom builders right now, and British Columbia’s Baresteel Design has pushed the limits of the market segment further with the incredible Stingray. Designed for the Haas Moto Museum & Sculpture Gallery in Dallas, Tex., Jay Donovan crafted an electric masterpiece with hints of retro, modern and futuristic café racer.
“I wasn’t sure what that was going to look like but I was very curious about the relationship between quality and modern technology, Donovan told pipeburn.com. “And I knew that I wanted to expand my understanding of design and engineering, their boundaries, both hard and soft, and their dynamic and philosophical relationship to one another.”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD.
Kawasaki Ninja H2 R
Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a major international transport company, with a board of directors and various shareholders it answers to. As such, it makes the existence of the H2 R even more amazing, for this is a 998 cc supercharged production motorcycle—and one that comes with a factory warranty. The H2 R is the halo machine in Kawasaki’s lineup. It’s a 231kW monster, complete with the rattlesnake hiss of the supercharger, and reserved for only the bravest and skilled of riders.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF BANDIT9.
Eve Lux by Bandit9
Daryl Villanueva of Bandit9, located in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, is no stranger to the pages of Robb Report. We’ve featured his numerous times, consistently blown away by is avant-garde custom motorcycles. Commissioned by Hong Kong luxury retailer Lane Crawford, Eve runs an engine that is, frankly, the opposite of extreme—a 1967 Honda SuperSport 125cc single-cylinder motor. But it’s wrapped in Villanueva’s pressed steel chassis and sci-fi-inspired one-piece bodywork.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ROLAND SANDS DESIGN.
KRV5 Tracker by Roland Sands Design
There are customs, and then there are customs from Roland Sands Design. And there’s never been a Roland Sands build quite like the KRV5 Tracker. This board track–inspired treasure uses a genuine Proton KR5 MotoGP motor as its heart, donated by American racing legend Kenny Roberts, encased in a minimalistic tubular steel chassis and garish green and red paint. No one before or since has created a custom motorcycle using a real MotoGP motor, making the RSD KRV5 Tracker one of the most bar-raising builds we’ve ever seen.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF EASTERN BOBBER CUSTOM CYCLE.
Bone X by Eastern Bobber Custom Cycle
Where does one start with the Bone X by Eastern Bobber Custom Cycle? The motorized piece of abstract art was created by Omar Jumiran in his workshop in Malaysia and uses a 1961 AJS 350 cc single-cylinder engine. The machine also features a single-sided swingarm front and rear suspension setup and 21-inch billet 6061 CNC-machined wheels. Demonstrating Jumiran’s creative vision and master craftsmanship, the Bone X took second place in the 2018 AMD World Championships for Custom Motorcycles.
PHOTO : PHOTO: COURTESY OF ZILLERS GARAGE.
Zillers Garage BMW R nineT
Dmitry Golubchikov of Moscow-based Zillers Garage used the start of 2020 to launch one of his most ambitious projects to date—this shape-shifting BMW R nineT. Keeping the stock BMW motor and not much else, the Zillers machine can change heights at the push of a button, using a pneumatic system to raise and lower the motorcycle’s stance. The body is a total deviation from Zillers usual style that leaves the motor free of a fairing and in open view. The inspiration for this custom comes from the world of aviation.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF BLACKSTONE TEK.
BST-HyperTEK
South Africa’s Blackstone Tek (BST) is one of the leading lights in carbon-fibre technology, mainly focusing on wheel production for cars and motorcycles. Yet in 2019, it teamed with another famous South African, Pierre Terblanche, the man responsible for the Ducati Supermono (among many other designs).
The result of the collaboration is the all-electric BST-HyperTEK. powered by a DHX Hawk electric motor that produces 80kW and 119Nm of instant torque. The BST-HyperTek is paired with its own Cross X1 smart helmet, where all the bike’s critical information is flashed up on the visor for a data presentation as futuristic looking as the bike itself.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THRIVE MOTORCYCLE.
Thrive T 22 Synthesis
To build a custom motorcycle, you have to loosen the grip on convention. To build a custom dragster, you have to let go completely. Indonesia’s Thrive Motorcycle has done just that with its T 22 Synthesis. No longer recognizable from the donor Kawasaki Ninja 150 RR it was born from, the T 22 Synthesis is a twin-engine two-stroke dragster totalling 300cc, wrapped in aluminium tubing for the chassis and a monocoque body—just like the halo drag bikes of the 1960s.
These days, it takes more than the finest linens and a Michelin-starred restaurant to take the No. 1 spot on a list of the world’s 50 best hotels, which Hotel Passalacqua did in 2023. The spa is stellar, to be sure, as is the pool house, which was decorated in collaboration with J. J. Martin of La Double J. But to fully embrace the villeggiatura and sense of place, even the tiniest details matter. Case in point: the hotel’s signature brass-fish bottle opener (there are also key chains), which will mentally transport you back to Lake Como every time you reach for a cold one.
Le Sirenuse, Positano
The red cliff-top hotel with sweeping views needs little introduction. Its owners, the Sersale family, were early to embrace the branding potential of the beloved property by launching an on-site boutique, Emporio Sirenuse, in 1993. These days, you can find Le Sirenuse’s clothing and swimwear everywhere from Net-a-Porter to Harrod’s, but nothing matches shopping the collection in person. If there’s only room in the suitcase for one thing, snag the brand’s riff on
the Hawaiian shirt in vacation-ready stripes.
Borgo Santo Pietro, Palazzetto
At Borgo Santo Pietro in Tuscany, the focus is on the serene landscape. (The spot was once a healing rest stop for medieval pilgrims.) Naturally, there’s an emphasis on farm-to-table cuisine, but more interesting might be the farm-to-spa treatments. Made in-house, the renowned Seed to Skin range draws on local remedies dating back to at least 1129; expect natural ingredients such as butterfat, thermal water, and raw honey. Grab the award-winning Eye Rescue Duo, a secret weapon for maintaining your post-vacation glow.
Palazzo Avino, Ravello
A once-private villa built in the 12th century, Palazzo Avino is one of the Amalfi Coast’s most celebrated hotels. When a former art gallery adjacent to Ravello’s beloved “pink palace” came up for sale, hotelier Mariella Avino and her sister Attilia made an offer. Mariella envisioned the new space, now dubbed the Pink Closet, as a spot to promote homegrown talent, partnering with the Camera Nazionale della Moda in order to provide a platform for emerging designers. We like the colorful, locally made ceramics—perfect for alfresco entertaining.
In this age of digital supremacy, it’s reassuring to know the pen is alive and well. And nowhere is it thriving quite like it is in Bassano del Grappa, a picturesque medieval village in Veneto, Italy, that has been home to Montegrappa, the country’s oldest pen company, since 1912. The firm specialises in rollerball and fountain pens for the discerning, and its products are still made in its original factory on the banks of the Brenta River.
Notable actors, athletes, musicians and even popes have used its wares, but the seed for one of Montegrappa’s most significant endorsements came when a then-unpublished author encountered the brand in 1918. Ernest Hemingway, just 19 years old at the time, was serving as a volunteer ambulance driver for the American Red Cross when he was assigned to a station 100 m from the factory. The robust Elmo model, still produced by Montegrappa today, became his writing instrument of choice.
More than a century later, Montegrappa pens remain renowned for their design and are still largely crafted by hand according to the company’s old-world manufacturing process. And while you can order a model off the shelf, varying levels of customisation are also available. Through the Extra Custom program, you can commission a uniquely hand-painted or burin-engraved style made from sterling silver or yellow, rose, or white gold and have the barrel decorated with an image or motif you select. Such pieces can require several weeks to complete, and prices range from around $2,400 to as high as $67,000—all to create a pen that’s a story in itself.
Each pen requires at least 36 individually handcrafted components—some considerable, others tiny and delicate.
As perhaps the most visible component, the pen clip is hand-polished to a mirror-like shine. You can opt to have it set with a small cubic zirconia, as with this sterling-silver example.
Mammoth ivory, ethically recovered from Siberian permafrost, is carefully machine-turned to create the cap. The company also offers celluloid for its caps and barrels, as well as exotic woods, marble, carbon fibre, various metal alloys and a house-made resin called Montegrappite.
The cap band is machine-engraved with the company logo. The process also allows for the back of the band to be similarly etched with your initials in a selection of three fonts.
A burin is used to inscribe a “leaves and scrolls” pattern on the pen’s barrel. The intricate technique can also be used to reproduce photographs or works of art.
Montegrappa uses ebonite, a vulcanised rubber, to make its feeds, which connect a pen’s nib to its reservoir. The material is more porous than hard plastic, allowing for better ink flow. A craftsman precisely cuts the feed’s fins to ensure the best performance.
Bugatti’s hybrid Tourbillon is the most powerful model in the marque’s history. And the coolest bit? An instrument cluster inspired by the finest Swiss horology.
By 30/10/2024
First there was Veyron. Then came Chiron. Now Tourbillon. Bugatti’s new 1,800 hp (1,342 kW) hypercar delivers even more shock-and-awe than its predecessors. Gone is the famed 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine. In its place is a new 1,000 hp (746 kW), 8.3-litre naturally aspirated V16 paired with a trio of electric motors delivering 800 hp (597 kW). That combination makes this the most powerful Bugatti ever.
While the design of the all-carbon-composite body is clearly derived from the signature lines of both the Veyron and Chiron, its roofline is lower, the body lighter and more aerodynamic, and that iconic horseshoe grille more imposing. Yet the likely headline feature will be the car’s all-new interior featuring a skeletonised, titanium-and-sapphire-glass instrument cluster inspired by Swiss watchmaking (for the uninitiated—“tourbillon” refers to the mechanical complication that increases accuracy in high-end timepieces).
“Beauty, performance, and luxury formed the blueprint for the Tourbillon. What we have created is a car that is more elegant, more emotive and more luxurious than anything before it,” stated Mate Rimac, Bugatti Rimac’s CEO, to Robb Report during an exclusive preview at the company’s newly opened design studio in Berlin.
He explained that, four years ago, when the Tourbillon concept was on the drawing board, there were multiple suggestions for what an all-new Bugatti might look like. Options included an SUV, a coupe-like crossover and a luxury four-door sedan. Then there was the choice of either a hybrid or all-electric power train. “The proposal to make it electric was the obvious choice. We had our [Rimac] Nevera, that we could easily transfer our technology and re-skin the body. But I felt it was wrong for Bugatti,” said Rimac. “I wanted a successor to the Veyron and Chiron, a true hypercar with a combustion engine. Our customers agreed.”
To create it, Rimac teamed with Cosworth, a renowned British engine builder, to help develop the naturally aspirated V16 mill. Designed to rev to 9,000 rpm, the engine offers a similar output as the original Veyron’s quad-turbocharged W16. To heighten the performance, Rimac and his team used their proven expertise in electric propulsion to pair the V16 with twin electric motors driving the front wheels, with a third at the rear. For battery power, a 25 kWh, oil-cooled 800-volt pack is integrated into the chassis and located behind the passengers. It’s powerful enough to give the Tourbillon a usable electric-only range of around 60 km.
As you would expect, the Tourbillon has been developed to be blisteringly fast. According to Emilio Scervo, Bugatti’s chief technical officer, early prototype tests suggest a rate of acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in 2.0 seconds, zero to 200 km/h in 5.0 seconds, and zero to 300 km/h in 10.0 seconds. Flat out, the max-speed target is 445 km/h, though with a speedometer that reads up to 550 km/h, we expect there’s more to come. “For us, it was important that the car retained the pure and raw analogue feel of a naturally aspirated combustion engine, while pairing it with the agility and ability provided by electric motors,” said Scervo.
The engine itself sits low in the Tourbillon’s new, super-stiff body structure, which is formed using next-generation T800 carbon composites. It features a forged-aluminium, multi-link suspension—front and rear—that replaces the previous double-wishbone steel setup used in the Chiron. The 3-D-printed aluminium suspension arms and uprights, and AI-developed, 3-D-printed hollow airfoil arm at the rear, are nothing less than pieces of art.
For the exterior lines, Frank Heyl, Bugatti’s director of design, explained that styling influences came from three landmark Bugattis of old: the Type 35 racer of the 1920s, the long Type 41 Royale built from 1927 through 1933, and the storied Type 57SC Atlantic from the 1930s. “The design focus was on Bugatti’s iconic horseshoe grille. It’s significantly wider and lower than in the Chiron, and it’s from which all lines of the car originate. It defines the car,” said Heyl, who added that another signature element is “the new central windshield wiper, which continues the line that starts on the hood and flows back along the roof. Just like on the Atlantic.” Set back from the grille are twin rows of wafer-thin LED lights. Between them is a narrow panel on the hood that raises up to reveal a “frunk” big enough for a set of custom-designed luggage.
In profile, the sweeping “Bugatti line” around the doors—a defining feature of both the Veyron and Chiron—looks even more striking with the car’s lowered roofline. At the rear, huge exhausts, a Le Mans–style carbon-fibre diffuser (twice the size of that on the Chiron), and a rolling wave of LED lights featuring illuminated “Bugatti” lettering, add to the visual drama. And to allow onlookers to gaze at that V16 power plant—and for cooling purposes—the engine sits open to the elements.
Upon opening the dihedral “scissor” doors and entering the cockpit, you’re presented with arguably the new Tourbillon’s most dramatic feature; a skeletonised instrument cluster inspired by the art of Swiss watchmaking. Made up of more than 600 components, it’s constructed from titanium with sapphire-glass faces and detailing that incorporates rubies.
The three-dial cluster is fixed in place, with the twin spokes of the flat-bottom steering wheel rotating around it. The unit is constructed, in-house, to remarkable horological tolerances of 50 microns—the average cross-section of a human hair. The entire cluster weighs just 709 g. Cascading down from the middle of the fascia is the centre console featuring crystal glass that’s formed over 13 separate stages to ensure strength and clarity. The aluminium elements are anodised and milled from a single block.
To add a little theatre to firing-up that big V16, there’s a prominent center-console aluminium knob that you pull to start, and push to turn off. It’s another nod to Bugatti models of yesteryear. What you won’t see, however, are any touchscreens. Heyl believes that the primary element that dates a car is an oversized screen. “What was state-of-the-art 10 years ago, is now ugly,” said Heyl. “The Tourbillon is designed to be timeless.”
In Bugatti tradition, the Tourbillon will also be highly exclusive. Only 250 examples are planned, each starting at around $6.3 million. The first customer cars are scheduled to be built at Bugatti’s atelier in Molsheim, France, starting in 2026.
“Yes, it is crazy to build a new V16 engine, to integrate it with a new battery pack and electric motors, and to have 3-D-printed suspension parts and a real Swiss watchmaker instrument cluster,” noted Rimac. “But it is what Ettore Bugatti would have done.”
Tucked away in a corner of the Dubai International Financial Centre, near the Ritz-Carlton, is Perpétuel Gallery, an unassuming 1,200 m² boutique displaying some of the world’s most important independent watchmaking. During Dubai Watch Week—a biannual event run by the Seddiqi family, the most prominent watch retailers in the UAE—the shop, just a few minutes’ walk from the fair in the DIFC, held its own exhibition that was filled to the brim with the watchmakers themselves, from Roger W. Smith to Simon Brette to Rémi Maillat of Krayon. There, holding court, was Hamdan Bin Humaid Al Hudaidi, a distinguished collector who founded Perpétuel in 2021, in the middle of the Covid pandemic.
“I never thought I would take my passion professionally, ever,” he tells Robb Report. “Everyone was against the idea because they were very certain this would fail.” How wrong they were. Instead, Perpétuel has become one of the most significant global players in connecting and brokering deals between collectors and their indie idols. As a serious client himself, Al Hudaidi has unique relationships that allow him to create limited editions exclusive to the gallery—quite a feat when you consider the waiting lists for some of the watchmakers in question are a decade or more long. A recent collaboration of 15 limited-edition Krayon Anywhere watches with desert-orange accents sold out to clients—not just in the Middle East, but also in Australia, the US and South Africa.
It’s proof positive of the area’s booming and influential watch scene. Many credit Dubai Watch Week—and by extension the Seddiqi family—for the fervent local interest in watch collecting. When the event launched in 2015, it was small, hosting just 15 brands, mostly independents. “It was really a project to give back to the industry,” says Hind Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, director general of the event and CMO and communications officer for Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, “but also to educate the general public that the watch industry is not as intimidating as you think.” It’s a strategy that has paid off. Last year’s edition ballooned to 60 brands, including big-name players such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Van Cleef & Arpels, along with nearly 24,000 attendees, the largest crowd to date.
Despite the draw, the five-day-long public event has an easygoing appeal that other watch fairs often lack. One can spot Philippe Dufour perched outside a pavilion smoking a pipe, Kari Voutilainen enjoying an alfresco lunch, or Rexhep Rexhepi in line for an espresso. It’s an exceedingly rare chance for collectors to mingle with the masters in a relaxed space where everyone is in a jovial mood thanks to the casual atmosphere and balmy weather—and Seddiqi plans to keep it that way. “I worry if we go bigger, we’ll lose this feeling of intimacy,” she says. “I have a lot of people asking me to commercialise the show, but it’s just going to ruin the whole vibe.”
The explosion of interest isn’t just for new timepieces: vintage is also having its moment. Historically, the Middle East hasn’t been receptive to “used” goods, but recent years have reflected a shift in perspective. Tariq Malik, cofounder and managing partner of Momentum, also located in the DIFC, just a three-minute walk from Perpétuel, was an early pioneer in the area when he opened shop in 2011. In the beginning, he says, it would be common for someone to look at his wares and ask if he was selling “used” watches. “I said, ‘It’s vintage,’ and they said, ‘Oh, wow.’ When I would say ‘vintage’ they would start pulling out their camera and taking photos. We brought vintage to Dubai, so it was a new thing.” He’s now sought-after by clients both in the UAE and internationally for his allotment of rare Rolexes, with a specialisation in Day-Dates and hard-to-find Stella and stone dials.
Al Hudaidi also dabbles in vintage, predominantly ultra-rare Pateks—one might walk into Perpétuel and find him casually pulling a full-set Ref. 2499 third series from a coffee-table drawer. Naturally, that watch has sold along with two other full-set 2499s, but a unique Patek Philippe Ref. 1491J chronograph from the ’40s is still up for grabs (at press time, anyway). It was made by the Stern family for Jimmy Powers, an American boxing commentator during the era.
“I got goosebumps when I heard his voice on YouTube,” says Al Hudaidi. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God—that timepiece was his. And his name is engraved on the back!”
Within a decade, private-jet cabins could make even today’s cutting-edge interiors seem ancient by comparison. From digital skylights and smart seats to eye-tracking functionality and immersive soundscapes, the array of innovative amenities could transform even the longest flights into time well spent. Here, six areas in which technology will take the onboard experience to new heights.
Screen Time
Within three to five years, some private jets may have select windows replaced with curved, high-definition 4K OLED displays connected to live video feeds from the aircraft’s exterior. Imagine a cabin ceiling that morphs into a conservatory with a spectacular view of the moon, or full-height windows that present the landscape below with incredible fidelity. Information overlays are easy additions, but consider that these built-in visual portals could also double as insane gaming screens.
Seat Change
E-textiles will transform the next generation of jet seats into intuitive in-flight spa recliners. Sensors within the fabric will note your size, weight, pressure distribution, and body temperature, then rely on their A.I.-driven processors to, say, heat the seat before you realise you’re chilly or massage that kink in your back without being asked. Powering themselves by converting body heat into electricity, the chairs might also know to widen and recline when you nod off.
Seeing the Light
Chronobiological lighting to mitigate jet lag will comprise organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels, capable of creating 16.3 million different light combinations, to reset a passenger’s internal clock as they traverse time zones. Eventually, such panels will migrate from light fixtures to smart fabric on the ceiling, resulting in more diffuse illumination that allows for near-infinite options across the colour spectrum.
And there are many other applications. For example, OLED displays, as wide as a piece of paper, can be used to digitally transform the entire wall of the cabin’s colour, texture or scene. It is called projection mapping, and it will make changing the wall color from hot pink to a textured crocodile leather as easy as changing your computer screen saver. As Ingo Wuggetzer, vice president of cabin marketing for Airbus, explains, light literally creates spaces, giving cabin designers a highly versatile and easily customisable digital canvas.
Higher Management
The ability to access basic audio or video from your smartphone is here, but imagine faster, streamlined connectivity that lets you manage video conferencing, heating, mood lighting, window shades, service requests, even a steriliser—from a single app. According to Airbus’s Wuggetzer, next-gen digital architecture will turn personal spaces into individual “ecosystems” controlled by each passenger. Tim O’Hara, director of completions research and development at Gulfstream, notes that eye-tracking technology could allow you to interact with the app via virtual screen, meaning you don’t even have to lift a finger.
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Rosen Aviation has developed a new onboard audio system with Laurence Dickie, designer of the famed Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus loudspeaker. According to Rosen’s Lee Clark, the goal is to go from today’s audio equivalent of “a 1970s eight-track” to what he refers to as “Elvis, six feet away, singing to you”—a soundscape that only you will hear, delivered by headrest speakers and haptic drivers in the seat. Meanwhile, Bongiovi Aviation intends to employ transducers embedded in the jet’s interior side panels, eliminating the need for traditional speakers altogether. The advantages are numerous, and it allows airframers to reduce cabin weight and fully utilise space while eliminating traditional speakers from the design.
Bringing movie-theater audio quality to aviation is already available. Dolby Atmos puts you inside the movie or song as it is playing. In collaboration with Dolby, SkyCinema Aviation was the first to create an Atmos-enabled processor built for business jets to compensate for cabin altitude and jet noise. The result? You will clearly hear the car approaching from a half mile away in that famous scene of the 1959 Hitchcock classic North by Northwest, just as the director intended.
Hands Free
With full showers, skylights, and large vanities gracing the lavatories of the most luxe business jets today, what could be next? The smart lavatory is evolving into a nearly completely hands-free space by incorporating sensors to activate everything from faucets to showers. Using an AI algorithm, Diehl Aviation has taken it a step farther to add more functionality with voice-controlled commands for opening and closing the door, turning on lights, and activating water. Hologram light switches will eventually keep the lavatory completely hands free, while smart mirrors can multitask by providing an interactive display of digital content.