In a rapidly evolving aerospace and defense landscape, aircraft interiors are becoming a strategic focus—not only for enhanced passenger experience but also for engineering efficiency, brand differentiation, and program profitability.
Dassault Systèmes, in partnership with Apple, is pushing the boundaries of digital transformation through a groundbreaking demonstration powered by the Apple Vision Pro and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This immersive experience showcases how Virtual Twin Experiences can transform cabin development—from initial concept to system certification—by enabling key stakeholders to live, test, and validate their decisions in real-time.
Let’s explore how this new paradigm delivers measurable value across the cabin innovation chain.
1. Cabin Configuration Engineer: Real-Time Layout Validation
Pain Point: Today, cabin layout engineers struggle to translate customer requirements into certifiable configurations quickly. Traditional methods rely on 2D layouts, disconnected tools, and late-stage mockups—slowing development and increasing the risk of costly design rework.
With immersive virtual twins:
Engineers can enter a full-scale virtual cabin model and configure layout variants on the fly—evaluating spatial feasibility, accessibility, visibility, and compliance within seconds. Apple Vision Pro allows these professionals to see and feel the impact of their layout decisions in 3D space, not on paper.
Key benefits:
- Instant feedback on layout constraints (e.g., overhead bin access, seat pitch clearance)
- Real-time validation against engineering rules and certification parameters
- Full traceability of changes across design iterations
- Faster, collaborative alignment with airline clients and marketing
In short, cabin configuration becomes not just efficient—but intelligent and certifiable from day one.
2. Product Manager (Cabin Supplier): Ergonomic & Functional Design Review
Pain Point: For OEM seat or galley manufacturers, design reviews with airlines are traditionally limited by physical prototypes, logistical costs, and subjective evaluation.
With Apple Vision Pro + 3DEXPERIENCE:
Product managers can host real-time, immersive design reviews directly inside the virtual cabin environment—simulating actual passenger interactions: reclining seats, deploying tray tables, operating window shades, and testing inflight entertainment.
Key benefits:
- Immediate detection of ergonomic issues (e.g., screen placement, table proximity)
- Rich user feedback captured directly in the platform—reducing ambiguity
- No physical prototypes required—cutting review time and costs
- Collaborative sessions with multiple stakeholders in different locations
Design decisions are now collaborative, measurable, and directly actionable—accelerating product maturity and customer alignment.
3. Airline Customer Experience Executive: Brand Identity and Customization
Pain Point: Airlines face increasing pressure to differentiate cabin ambiance and branding, but prototype testing of trim & finish (T&F) options, lighting, and materials is costly and time-consuming.
With immersive configuration tools:
Executives can explore multiple design schemes—adjusting mood lighting, trim textures, and cabin materials in real time. They can compare day vs. night settings or boarding vs. cruise ambiance scenarios—all inside a high-fidelity virtual environment.
Key benefits:
- Immersive experience of brand-specific ambiance before finalizing specs
- Real-time switching between certified layout variants
- Clear visualization of material/luminescence interactions under realistic lighting
- Elimination of physical mockups, reducing time and investment
This empowers airline stakeholders to feel the brand experience as customers would—enhancing passenger satisfaction and brand consistency without delaying development.
4. Cabin Integrator / Systems Engineer: Real-Time Systems Validation
Pain Point: Validating environmental performance—thermal comfort, airflow, or Wi-Fi signal distribution—often requires expensive physical testing late in the development process, leading to late redesigns or suboptimal configurations.
Enter real-time MODSIM (Modeling & Simulation):
With the virtual twin, engineers can run live CFD simulations within the immersive environment, testing airflow distribution, heat spots, and passenger comfort scenarios in real-time.
User actions include:
- Selecting cabin sections and visualizing airflow with streamlines
- Assessing heat accumulation from sun exposure or passenger load
- Repositioning HVAC ducts and immediately viewing the impact
Likewise, electromagnetic (EM) simulations allow engineers to optimize antenna placement and Wi-Fi coverage before physical installation—identifying blind spots or signal interference risks through real-time EM field visualization.
Key benefits:
- Faster, earlier detection of design flaws
- Reduced reliance on expensive physical mockups
- Regulatory readiness with built-in simulation traceability
- Seamless handoff between design and systems integration teams
Virtual simulations now move upstream—shortening test cycles while increasing confidence and compliance.
5. C-Suite Perspective: Business Agility and Strategic Advantage
At the executive level, this immersive cabin experience represents far more than a technical leap. It unlocks strategic value across the entire aircraft interior lifecycle:
- Time-to-market reduction through parallel design-validation processes
- Cost avoidance by eliminating prototype cycles and downstream rework
- Customer co-creation enabled by real-time, immersive collaboration
- Regulatory assurance with end-to-end traceability and MODSIM compliance
- Sustainability gains by reducing physical waste and over-engineering
Ultimately, it transforms the way cabin systems are conceived, evaluated, and certified—from a fragmented process into a continuous, collaborative digital thread.
What Comes Next?
Dassault Systèmes and Apple are showing how immersive technologies can turn complexity into clarity—and turn vision into validated outcomes.
This isn’t a vision of the future. It’s here now. And it’s changing how cabins—and the companies behind them—perform.
→ Want to learn more?
Watch the video of the immersive Passenger Experience to give you a glimpse of what has been created! This next-gen spatial experience allows you to explore how the 3DEXPERIENCE platform® redefines cabin design, comfort, and validation – all within a fully interactive, mixed-reality environment
→ Want to deep dive in our Aerospace & Defense capabilities?
See how OEMs, suppliers, and airlines are using the 3DEXPERIENCE to accelerate innovation and compliance—while cutting time, cost, and complexity: https://www.3ds.com/industries/aerospace-defense
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