Future travel tech: Airport check-in personnel might be replaced with robots

Air New Zealand takes the next step into the future, as it announced the launching of the first robots that checks passengers in.

 

The travel industry sector is continuously targeted by countless new exciting technologies that makes traveling more simple and more effective for passengers, as well as for companies. From AI employees to strong passport-free security filters, all of the innovations can become a reality during the next years to come.

For now, one airline from New Zealand marks a turning point on the market, with the latest check-in robot currently in tests.

“This partnership and experiment with CommBank and Chip is another way we are pushing the boundaries to ensure we remain at the forefront of technology. We are also experimenting with potential enhancements of the future, including the idea of our cabin crew one day using Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality viewers on board our aircraft,” chief digital officer at Air New Zealand Avi Golan stated about the new project.

The trial will take place at the Sydney airport and will last for five days. Chip was created in order to be able to read boarding passes, check-in passengers and wave goodbye as they board for their destinations.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to explore the possibilities of a horizon technology such as social robotics, and what it might enable in the future. Social robots can bring to life information that is not particularly engaging when delivered by a screen. People interact with them in a very social and sometimes emotional way, which means they can enhance experiences in ways that other technologies are unable to,” Tiziana Bianco, GM at Innovation Labs explained.

More fascinating changes are expected for the future in the travel industry sector, as a few companies are currently trialling microchips that could one day replace traditional passports. The system is already in use in Sweden, where passengers can choose to implant the device under their skin and automatically pay for their transport.

 

Source: express.co.uk