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• e QR code also acts as a unique link to all of the flight-related
information of the passenger such as the seat details and so on.
In case of changes to any of these details, the QR codes can be
refreshed to display the updated or new information.
e use of QR codes for mobile check-in saves a great deal of time
and goes a long way to improve the travel experience of passengers.
is is already used in many prominent airports across the world.
However, in some other airports, it is yet to be introduced and used.
10.4.2.4 Interactive Displays and Billboards in Airports Interactive touch
displays are useful in any real-life situation, more so when it comes to
airports. Many airports across the world have interactive maps. ese
maps can be used by passengers to view the route information about
their favorite spot within the airport such as a restaurant or the gate to
which a passenger needs to go to board a specific flight.
Today many leading players in the IT industry are trying out new
innovative approaches for the use of interactive displays in airports.
One such interesting approach is an interactive billboard in airports
designed by Google. ese interactive billboards from Google use
Red Crystal software to stream the required content onto users’ smart
phones. e users can select the type of content they want to be dis-
played on the advertising displays. Apart from this, users can also
download movies, games, or anything of interest from the Google
Play Store to their smart phones.
10.4.3 Technology/Processes to Enhance Passenger Experience
e various technologies or processes to enhance passenger experi-
ence are summarized in the following diagram:
Social media
Inductive charging of electronic devices
Interactive surfaces
Virtual worlds
Increased leisure experiences
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10.4.3.1 Inductive Charging of Electronic Devices One of the main pain
points for passengers in airports is the lack of availability of charg-
ing points for their electronic devices. ough most airports have
charging points, they are insufficient to meet the demands of the ever
increasing number of passengers. is is where inductive charging
technology comes in as a handy option.
Inductive charging technology consists of a main charging sta-
tion. From the charging station, energy is transferred to other devices
through an electromagnetic field. e electromagnetic field consists of
a primary inductive coil that transfers energy to a secondary coil that is
present in the device to be charged. e secondary coil in the device can
transfer the charge to batteries and other components of the device that
need to be charged. is solves the passenger concern about the reduced
availability of charging points in airports. However, for this technology
to be successful, it needs to be present on both ends: charging station
and on the electronic devices that are carried by the passengers.
Primary
coil
Secondary
coil
Charging station/coil
Devices to be charged
Many leading international airports have adopted inductive charg-
ing. ere are two modes in which inductive charging can occur:
• Physical contact–based inductive charging: In this mode, there
should be physical contact between the charging plate and
the device to be charged so that transfer of charge can happen
between the coils that are present in the two devices. is
method is constrained by the physical proximity requirements
between the devices. However, in places such as airports, this
can happen by placing multiple charging plates in rooms/
tables.
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• Wireless inductive charging: In this mode, no physical contact
is required between the charging plate and the device to be
charged. is mode works on the basis of resonant inductive
coupling. Resonant inductive coupling uses the principle of
near-field wireless transmission of electrical energy between
two devices that are tuned to resonate at the same frequency.
is approach is very popular and is widely used in airports
and other public venues such as conference halls that require
facilities to provide mass charging of electronic devices.
10.4.3.2 Virtual Worlds and Interactive Surfaces
10.4.3.2.1 Virtual Reality Systems for Tracking Ground Movement Virtual
reality systems in airports for tracking ground movements of air-
crafts is an application that allows airport supervisors to have a three-
dimensional display of actual ground movements of aircrafts in real
time. ese systems can be used to provide enhanced terminal opera-
tion movement capabilities to airport supervisors and operators. ese
systems can integrate with airport databases to provide real-time infor-
mation that can be combined with graphical and other 3D models to
provide a very clear and comprehensive picture to airport authorities.
10.4.3.2.2 Remote and Virtual Towers Remote and virtual tower
(RVT) is a concept that could be considered an aftermath of the vir-
tual reality concept. With the help of this technology, the air traffic
service (ATS) at an airport is performed at a remote location other
than the local control tower. RVT technology is aimed at providing
the following key features for airports:
• Monitoring, controlling, and management of air traffic services
from a remote tower by staff who operate from a remote tower
center that is not located locally within the airport premises.
• Emergency services at airports in case of events such as fire
can happen from a remote location. is way the contingency
facility will not be impacted by events that occur at a local
airport location.
• Clear visibility of airport premises without any impact caused
by fog, mist, and other environmental conditions that may
affect the local airport premises.
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RVT technology uses optical sensors and cameras that provide a
high-quality real-time image of the runway. ese images are typi-
cally displayed at large monitors. In addition to the live video feeds
from the airport, air traffic management systems, voice communica-
tion systems, meteorological systems, and surveillance display systems
are all present in RVTs. e key benefits of RVT are the following:
• No necessity to maintain and operate control towers at local
airport buildings
• Possibility of monitoring multiple small and medium airports
from a single centralized location
• Lower human resource requirement by providing features to
monitor multiple airports from a single centralized location
10.4.3.3 Interactive Surfaces Interactive screens/displays that respond
to gestures of people by providing different types of multimedia con-
tent are used in many airports across the world. e main objective of
using such components in airports is to provide an enhanced travel-
ing experience to passengers. e underlying technology used is the
gesture recognition technology where the system is equipped with
technology that can examine the surrounding area and respond to the
movement of the people around by displaying various types of content
that are preloaded and preconfigured into the system.
ese interactive surfaces can also be used to display logos and brand
messages of various organizations. e interactive screen content can
be designed in such a way as to offer a simple transition from one brand
image to another along with 3D and other visual effects, audio and video.
Apart from interactive screens, it is also possible to have interactive
floors that respond to gesture recognition technology and provide a fully
EXTENSION OF VIRTUAL REALITY TO 6D
CINEMAS AT SCHIPHOL, AMSTERDAM
Schiphol airport at Amsterdam has a 6D XD cinema theatre
in the airport. is theatre provides passengers special motion-
based seats that offer “rides” that includes sound, wind, and
lighting effects that are synchronized with the cinema to provide
a 6D effect.
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immersive traveling experience for the passengers. In the context of air-
ports, apart from using these interactive surfaces as advertising media,
it is also possible to use these interactive surfaces to provide valuable
insights to travelers about their destination locations and the various
points of interest that are located in a specific destination location.
INTERACTIVE SURFACES IN ACTION AT
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AIRPORT
United Arab Emirates airport has unveiled its dedicated
technology-based entertainment corner called e-zone. is
entertainment zone is located in the Business Class Lounge at
Terminal 3. e-zone has several games and interactive components
that are suitable for all ages. e-zone uses several different tech-
nologies that include the latest Microsoft Surface™ computers.
Microsoft Surface provides a true experience of intuitive com-
puting by eliminating components such as mice and keyboards.
It has the capability to recognize objects that are placed on it.
Objects could vary from digital cameras to wireless phones and
even “tagged” glasses. ese objects are recognized and treated as
objects of communication with the user. Use of these cutting edge
technologies in the airport marks the beginning of a new era in
human–computer interaction. Some of the applications that come
as a part of this entertainment component arethefollowing:
• Attract—is application provides a water pond that
allows passengers to touch and feel the pond using the
features offered by Microsoft Surface.
• Destination Guide—is application allows customers
to interact with a moving 3D globe. It is built using a
Microsoft Virtual Earth platform and allows custom-
ers to zoom into any location on Earth. After zoom
in, it helps the passengers to view general information
about the destination location and also provides photos
of specific photos. e 3D globe also provides extensive
information about the various holiday destinations for
travelers in the United Arab Emirates.
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