Lighting the way
Product Chief Kevin Lawrence guides the innovation pipeline for aircraft cabin lighting
For Kevin Lawrence, Product Chief for Interior Lighting, lighting has an outsized effect on the cabin experience, whether passengers realize it or not.
From his base in Bohemia, New York, Lawrence orchestrates a complex symphony of technology, strategy, and human psychology that harnesses light to shape and enhance how passengers experience flight.
As Product Chief, Lawrence’s role extends far beyond traditional engineering, encompassing business development, technology road mapping, and the delicate art of translating customer dreams into airworthy realities.
"My favorite part of the job is working with business development and the voice of the customer to come up with the next best thing," Lawrence reveals.
His role demands a rare combination of skills: deep technical knowledge, sharp business acumen, and an almost intuitive understanding of what makes people more comfortable in the confined space of an aircraft cabin.
Collaborating across borders
Notably, Lawrence champions a "One Lighting" initiative, a cultural transformation that emphasizes collaboration across multiple Collins sites focused on lighting. He and his team in Bohemia work closely with groups in Lippstadt, Germany, and Phoenix to pool their collective wisdom.
This knowledge-sharing approach has accelerated innovation cycles and prevented costly redundancies. When teams gather for workshops, whether in person or via digital whiteboards, the energy is palpable.
"The day goes by like that," he says, snapping his fingers to illustrate the rapid-fire exchange of ideas.
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The road from concept to cabin
Bringing new lighting technology to market requires navigating a labyrinth of challenges that would intimidate most consumer electronics manufacturers. Lawrence walks through the progression: from "ugly prototypes" that prove basic concepts to sophisticated systems that must operate for decades while encountering extreme conditions.
The list of testing to validate lighting technologies is lengthy.
"There's electromagnetic interference, conducted emissions, environmental testing, crash safety, flammability," he lists.
Each category represents months of rigorous evaluation and significant investment. Yet Lawrence views these hurdles positively – they're what separates the lighting technologies his team produces from consumer lighting products.
Drawing inspiration from unexpected places
Lawrence's creative process involves constant observation beyond aerospace. He studies automotive displays, browses home improvement stores, and analyzes consumer electronics trends.
"Even driving in new cars these days, they now have personal lighting adjustments and there's an emphasis on the ambience of your environment and giving the driver control of that experience,” he observes.
“That cockpit in the car is really what the planes will become in a few years,” he predicts.
This cross-industry perspective helps Lawrence and his team anticipate passenger expectations. As travelers become accustomed to personalized lighting in their vehicles and homes, they naturally expect similar experiences at altitude. Lawrence's team works to close that expectation gap while meeting aviation's unique dynamics and stringent safety standards.
Hypergamut™: A new spectrum of possibility
A highlight of Lawrence's recent work is the Hypergamut™ lighting system, a technology that enters into service this year. By expanding from four to six LEDs per cluster, the Hypergamut system achieves something remarkable: it doesn't just light up cabins, it actively promotes passenger wellbeing.
The breakthrough came from incorporating cyan wavelengths that influence human circadian rhythms. Passengers boarding a morning flight might unknowingly benefit from lighting that helps them feel more alert, while evening flights feature warmer tones that prepare the body for rest.
This biological approach to lighting design represents a fundamental shift in how the industry thinks about cabin environments: moving beyond mere illumination to active wellness enhancement.
Creating invisible excellence
Perhaps Lawrence's most profound insight speaks to the nature of successful cabin lighting: the best systems are those passengers never consciously notice.
"The best flight is when the lighting brings you an experience where you don't even think that you're flying," he philosophizes.
The pursuit of this "invisible excellence" guides many design decisions. From the moment passengers board – when bright, welcoming illumination creates spaciousness – to the intimate, controllable lighting at individual seats, each element serves a purpose in the overall experience.
Looking to tomorrow's horizons
As Lawrence peers into the future, he sees convergent trends reshaping cabin environments. The rise of urban air mobility, increasing passenger demands for personalization, and growing efficiency pressures all point toward more sophisticated, efficient, and responsive lighting systems.
Lawrence and his team’s work illuminates a critical truth: lighting has evolved from functional necessity to competitive differentiator. In an era where passenger experience drives loyalty and revenue, the subtle art of illumination may prove to be an obvious element to success.
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