TU Delft students win award - innovative aircraft seating made from cacti

A group of students from TU Delft has won the prestigious Crystal Cabin Award 2023. The team won the award with an innovative 'Lightweight Aircraft Seating' solution. The Delft-based team's lightweight seat cushions are 3D printed using sustainable fibres, reducing the amount of material required (and the weight of the aircraft), while providing optimal support to the passenger's body.

Presented annually on the eve of the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, the Crystal Cabin Awards aim to reward the best and most revolutionary innovations in aircraft interiors. The TU Delft team won the award for university teams, with a 3D-printed seating cushion of which the top layer is made from cacti. These are natural, sustainable fibres, which do not need to be harvested for this purpose and can therefore provide new material all the time.

The TU Delft team consists of Thomas Hogeveen, Bas Ammerlaan, Maartje Ballemans and Agi Strijker.