Travelers for business or pleasure are rarely without their electronic devices, whether on a plane, train, bus or otherwise. However, decades old food tray table designs offer little room for a laptop or smart phone, as well as food and drink. A Scottsdale based company is changing that conundrum, one trip at a time.
The technology behind the SmartTray PED-friendly tables allow a personal electronic device to be used hands-free for significantly enhanced ergonomics without competing for space on the tray itself for other items brought onboard including food and drinks on tray tables.
Nick Pajic, president/CEO of SmartTray International views the tray table as truly the last domain of personal space during travel.
“The tray should allow the traveler, whether in an airplane, on a train, or a cruise ship or a ferry, to relax and/or conduct business via their personal electronic devices stress-free without juggling between food, drinks and their gadgets,” said Pajic.
SmartTray integrated PED holders - depending on the application – are designed to replace the existing food tray tables in minutes. SmartTray tables are available for mounting on the back of passenger seats, or in seat-arms. The PED holder mechanism expands and retracts automatically to the thickness of passenger’s electronic device ensuring any smartphone or PED can be used with SmartTray technology.
“SmartTray table designs are simple, practical, and economical for any transportation operator and have proven to significantly enhance travel experience, whether traveling for business or pleasure,” said Pajic.
SmartTray has 10 utility patents granted to date with additional patent applications pending in the USA and internationally.
This September, John Walton of Runway Girl Network reviewed United Airlines’ new Polaris first class seats on their Airbus and Boeing narrow body planes. He said, “It’s great to see SmartTray’s integrated groove-and-rest tablet holder solution on the fold-out trays. The product was developed through a licensing agreement with United, before in-seat power giant Astronics agreed to exclusively market and sell SmartTray’s products, so I’d expect to see these tablet holders rapidly evolve.”
