The Design challenges of Finding Engineering Solutions for the Ingress and Egress of disabled Passengers into Small sub-Regional Aeroplanes

Abstract: Examples of design solutions for the ingress and egress of wheelchair users into large and small passenger airplanes already exist on the market. However, they are predominantly ground-based, expensive, single-aircraft solutions. The Innovate UK Hydrogen Electric and Automated Regional Transportation (HEART) project addressed, as part of its programme, the design challenge of enabling wheelchair users to travel on smaller planes such as those used on sub-regional routes with 19 seats or fewer. The approach taken was systematic user-centred Inclusive Design methodology based on functional, analytical capability analysis (Langdon 2010) and an end-to-end design method exploring a design space of alternative technical and ergonomic design solutions, for implementation within an envelope of requirements (Stanton et al. 2021). The objective was to identify and rank design alternatives for assisting ingress and egress of small aeroplanes by passengers with physical capability ranges that led them to use a wheelchair.For this to succeed it was essential that the developed designs should align with the needs, expectations, and lived experiences of its intended users. The design process was therefore based around disabled users and their experience. The project prioritised user-centred design, ensuring that proposed solutions were not only technically feasible but also practically usable by single operators. The study engaged disabled collaborators, and key industry stakeholders. The design process commenced with a review of literature and current regulatory environments, and a benchmarking of market offerings for a range of aircraft and handling equipment. This was followed by a technical requirements analysis where key limits included anthropometrics, size, weight, de-mountability, single person usability, portability, and the necessity to carry inside the aircraft and be self-powered. Building on these insights, a design workshop based on Stanton et al. (2021), brought together diverse stakeholders, including an aircraft engineer, designers, a CAA regulator and wheelchair users. Participants engaged in a creative exercise to generate and then technically evaluate convergent solutions, which were documented in concept sheets. These concepts were then ranked using a Pugh Matrix scoring system and an inclusion audit assessing usability across vision, physical, hearing, thinking, and stamina categories.The paper presents the key findings at each stage focusing on the accessibility challenges in small aircraft. Key technical issues identified included: restricted space; vertical movement, such as reaching and descending from the aircraft door level, and rotational and horizontal movement required for passengers to enter the aeroplane and secure themselves as regulated.The trials with the manufactured prototype were successful in engineering terms and received positively by collaborating disabled users, suggesting that the operation of the lifting equipment was potentially beneficial for disabled passengers if scaled up to airline service. Further design work will examine variants for similar aircraft and conduct inclusive disability trials.Stanton, N.A., Revell K.M.A., and Langdon, P., (2021), Designing Interaction and Interfaces for Automated Vehicles: User-Centred Ecological Design and Testing. 2021: CRC.

Keywords: Inclusive design, Sub-regional aviation, accessibility, anthropometrics, disability, manufacturing

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1006836

Cite this paper:

​