Wave Goodbye On Your Flight To The Friendly Holograms

Two airports in the UK have become the first in the world to use virtual assistants to greet and provide information to passengers going through security.
Manchester and Luton London Airports both launched holographic staff members during the past week.
Passengers at Manchester’s Terminal 1 are being met by John and Julie, images modelled on real-life customer service staff members John Walsh and Julie Capper.
The new additons explain the liquid restrictions and remind travellers to have their boarding cards ready.
“It’s been quite funny since they’ve been in on Friday,’ said John Greenway, Manchester Airport spokesman, said in a video released by the airport. “We've seen passengers presenting their boarding cards to them trying to put their hands through them, trying to talk to them.”
If these virtual assistants work out well there may be more added in other areas of the facility.
“The liquid restrictions remain an area of confusion for many of our passengers and it’s something we still have to spend a lot of time reminding our passengers," said the real-life John Walsh in a press release. "That can slow the process down for everyone and that’s something we want to find a solution to. If you look at the entrance to most security areas in airports, a lot of space is set aside for information relating to the current restrictions.”
The new additions to London Luton Airport, Holly and Graham, are located in the area where passengers are searched and hand luggage is checked.
“They will be used to brief passengers on the preparations they need to make before undergoing the Security search,” states an airport press release. “The trial will take four to eight weeks and will measure a variety of indicators including the amount of time spent by passengers in the Central Search.”
If the trail is felt to be successful, Holly and Graham will be added to other sites inside the airport, providing a variety of information.
"We wanted an application that would do two things; be really compelling from a communications point of view, and also to be really consistent," Glyn Jones, Managing Director of London Luton Airport, told BBC News.
"Holly and Graham are not going to have a hangover; they're not going to have a row with their partner the night before.
"They're going to say exactly the same thing in exactly the same way, in a way which we think is extremely compelling."
Each airport was developing the technology with a different company and they were unaware of the other's developments in this area. Manchester was working with Musion and Luton had Tensator involved in their project.
"We couldn't believe it when we heard Manchester had launched holographic staff, also for queue management," The Telegraph quoted a spokesman for Luton Airport as saying. "It just goes to show the idea is not a marketing gimmick."

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/303165