The Future of Air Travel is Looking Like Science-Fiction



I think I can speak for everyone when I say that airports can be the worst part of traveling. Now don’t get me wrong, I do love airports when everything goes accordingly. I love being right on time, grabbing Starbucks before my flight, browsing Brookstone for things I don’t need, getting on the plane and pulling out my neck pillow and waking up at my destination. But, that type of experience rarely actually happens to me. Normally I get to the airport extremely early to combat the long lines, have to deal with the rude security/gate agents, and walk around with my ticket, ID, boarding pass, and passport all firmly in my hand to keep in sight to make sure that I can get on the plane. But, the airline industry is rapidly introducing new technologies to change all of this.



So, what’s the future looking like? Robots that move around the airport to help in different areas when needed. SITA is the global technology company that provides innovations to the air transport industry, and they have been creating robots that can move around by themselves to either help people check-in or take their luggage from them before even entering the airport. Kate is the self-check robot that acts like a moving kiosk. It has the technology to tell which areas in the airport are the most crowded and goes there to speed up the lines by checking people in. Leo is a robot that people can give their bags to and it will print them out a bag tag and then take the bag to the correct place for that passenger. Both robots have technology to be able to move around obstacles and stop for other people. SITA is testing out this technology at an airport in Geneva to see if they are helping to relieve airport congestion and wait times.



SITA is also collaborating with the airline JetBlue to eliminate the need for a boarding pass. JetBlue has been using facial recognition on their flights to Boston and Aruba. A kiosk scans the passenger’s face to match it with the correct face on the passenger list. No more fumbling around with a million documents; all you need to do is show up and stare at a camera.

Of course, virtual reality is coming as well. Airlines are using this technology for the development and marketing of their airplanes. Designers at Rockwell Collins are using advanced virtual reality to create cabins and cockpits to find design flaws instead of spending money on creating physical prototypes. Lufthansa is a German airline that let passengers wear virtual reality headsets to show them a 360-degree video of the flight they were about to board. They used this to market the first class and premium seats of the aircraft, and after the showing many passengers upgraded their seats for a charge.



So, in the very near future we’re supposed to have robots wandering around airports, a camera will let you on the plane, and a viewing of what your seat will look like before you get on. These technologies seem like something found in science fiction movies, but if they take all the hassle out of flying then I can’t wait to see them incorporated.
  


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