By July, digital projections of "virtual customer care representatives" will appear in JFK, La Guardia and Newark airports. Their functions? To guide flyers to their gates and provide other logistical information.
The Port Authority says this is the first experiment with virtual avatars in a North American airport. As Time’s Techland blog reports, this kind of thing has been tried before in Europe.
How does this projection work? The technology which appears to be like a 2-D projection is a kinda hologram stuff and the avatar will be seen on a device that is a life-sized flat screen in the shape of a woman. She will dispense flight information and tips about services like shuttle bus and taxi pick-ups. It activates when a customer approaches.
The hologram technology will work by projecting the image on a pane of glass and may remind some people of the recent surprise hologram rendition of the deceased rap artist Tupac Shakur at this year’s Coachella music festival. Though it’s unlikely the Port Authority will license Tupac’s “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” as part of its marketing campaign.
So far every automated system I have had to deal with is far less than is needed. It costs jobs and provides poor customer service. Grow up America. There is a time and place for our gadgets and there is a time and place for interacting with a human.
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