Panasonic's Arc to launch on Vistara
Panasonic announced the development of Arc at this year's Aircraft Interiors Expo
Panasonic Avionics’ Arc Inflight Map Platform will have a launch customer in Indian airline Vistara in 2020.
At last week’s APEX Expo, the company announced the developments that will, next year, debut Arc on the Vistara fleet of 787-9s and A321neos along with Panasonic’s Gaming component, a new addition to Panasonic’s Theatre Inflight Entertainment launched in April. Also, Panasonic announced in Los Angeles it would continue its association with Swedish company Toca Boca adding a new playful version of Arc for children.
Arc is a personalized 3D inflight map application that brings a wide range of additions to the traditional inflight map application, while expanding into a fully integrated experience within its IFEC eco-system with Panasonic’s Theatre (inflight entertainment) and Marketplace (e-commerce) solutions, backed by its NEXT Cloud infrastructure.
Arc’s innovations include personalized maps capability, new Map-as-a-Service technology that enables the development of applications using the map engine and feature set, premium destination and point-of-interest content. There are also monetization opportunities for airlines through Panasonic’s Marketplace e-commerce platform, and the ability to integrate with airline advertising and promotions.
Games was launched by Panasonic in April. Vistara’s passengers will have access to premium games created by globally recognized brands.
Arc’s technology is inspired by the latest design thinking of contemporary UX and high-definition gaming experiences, and enables airlines to leverage the high viewership of moving maps inflight.
A number of new and unique features of Arc have been developed in collaboration with FlightAware. The company’s global flight tracking will be integrated in the Arc platform will provide passengers with an extensive airline fleet view during their entire journey. The relationship will further explore new features based on FlightAware’s predictive technology, giving passengers precise runway and gate arrival times as well as proactive information about connecting flight delays.
The company’s continued partnership with Toca Boca will blend creativity in digital toys with Arc’s technology, to produce a fun interface designed to keep kids entertained and informed inflight.
“Our vision is to inspire the next generation to travel, learn about the world around them, and have fun while doing it,” said David Bartlett, Chief Technology Officer of Panasonic, in a release from the company. “At Panasonic we’re constantly innovating to enhance the passenger experience for flyers of all ages, and the launch of our child-friendly map is a big step forward on that journey.”
