Georgia Tech Team Progresses in Airbus Competition

Have you ever been on a plane and felt trapped during mealtime? Maybe you wanted to get up and use the restroom, but thought twice after seeing tray tables in your row and carts obstructing the aisle. 

Georgia Tech graduate students from the Aerospace Systems Design Lab have created a way to eliminate the hassle of meal distribution on airplanes. The team, called “eMEALS,” entered Airbus’ Fly Your Ideas competition for a chance to win $30,000 and present their idea to Airbus officials.

As part of the competition, the eMEALS team's is one of eight finalists in a video contest. The team's video was in first place as of May 11 and needs the support and votes of the Georgia Tech community to maintain pace in the competition.

The idea behind eMEALS is a user-controlled food ordering system. Using the screens on the back of airplane seats, passengers can order their choice of meals, beverages, and snacks, and pick the delivery time. Once the order has been placed, airline attendants will prepare the order in the galley and send it to the passenger using a rail system located beneath the overhead bins.

This innovative system will give passengers the freedom to decide when and what they want to eat. Also, the process will free up cabin space otherwise cluttered by meal and beverage carts.

To learn more about the eMEALS idea and cast a vote for its video, visit www.airbus-fyi.com/medias/best-videos and vote for video No. 2. The team with the most votes at 11:59 p.m. on May 17 will be the winner. 

Beyond the video contest, the eMEALS team will find out this month if they been selected to compete in round three of the Airbus competition, which takes place in Hamburg, Germany, at the end of May.