passengers departing from have the chance to experience technology that seems like it was taken from the future.
The technological innovation, called Parallel Reality, is used in a new display board, more than 20 feet wide, that allows passengers to see their personalized flight information β and only their information. Even the person right beside them will, at the same time, see their own completely different flight information β and no one elseβs.
βDeltaβs innovation team is always looking for new technologies that can enhance the passengerβs experience,β says Greg Forbes, the managing director of airport experience for Delta.
Through Parallel Reality, Delta is capturing futuristic technology β and bringing it to life in the present.
What is it?
Like other airport display boards, this digital screen shows flight information for passengers. However, it is unique in that passengers have to scan their boarding pass or digital ID in order to see anything on the board. Once they do, their flight information (departure time, gate number, directions, and walking distance tothe gate) shows up on the screen, but they are the only one who can see it. The person right next to them, or a Μύdozen feet away, would see only a blank screen.
How does it work?
This innovative display board employs a technology called Parallel Reality. Albert Ng, CEO of Misapplied Sciences, says regular pixels are only capableΜύof displaying one imageΜύat a time, but Parallel Reality pixels, created by , angle differently. Because ofΜύthis, multiple people can look at the same objectΜύand see entirely different things. In the case ofΜύDeltaβs new display boardΜύat DTW, this works for upΜύto 100 people at a time.
OK, but how does it know whoβs in front of it?
A common misconception regarding the display is that it uses facial recognition.ΜύIn actuality, there is a motion sensor that follows the passenger once they scan their boarding pass, tracking their movementΜύin order to angle the right message to the correct person. No biometric data is stored; in other words, Delta isnβt keeping any data associated with your physical appearance.
This is cool and all, but what difference does it make?
The areas near flight information boards in airports can easily get crowded. Even once passengers make itΜύup to the board, they must sift through a seaΜύof information. Seeing your own personalized information not only saves time but also allows you to receive more details specific to your flight and gate. Ng says the board isnβt meant to be just a fancy gadget but instead can solve real problems that all airline passengers are familiar with.
Canβt I just use the Delta app?
Of course! Passengers are still encouraged to useΜύthe app, though Forbes says itβs intended moreΜύfor stationary use. When looking down at the app on their phones, passengers arenβt as aware of their surroundings, which can be dangerous. The information shown on the new display board can be also found in the app but is displayed in a safer way that allows for an easier airport experience.
Why DTW?
According to Forbes, DTW is a great facility and has a central area perfect for implementing this new technology. Since the board is located in a central hub of the airport, outgoing passengers canβt miss it. Throughout the process, Forbes says, the airport has been βfantastic,β seizingΜύthis project and moving it forward. He estimates that an average of 1,400-1,500 passengers interact with the display every day.
Is it onlyΜύfor Delta passengers?
Yes, this new display board experience is specific to passengers flying with Delta. At the same time, this encompasses all Delta flyers, not just rewards members. Any passenger on an outgoing Delta flight has the opportunity to engage with the display.
Say Iβm still skeptical: Is it optional?
Yes, it is absolutelyΜύoptional. No passengerΜύhas to participate if theyΜύare uncomfortable with itΜύor donβt understand it yet. Since no facial recognition scanning takes place, you will not be tracked unless you scan your boarding pass or digital ID. Even then, you are only tracked via a motion detector in order to give you a personalized experience.
This story is from the DecemberΜύ2022 issue of ΒιΆΉ·¬ΊΕ Detroit magazine. Read more in our digital edition.Μύ
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