Passengers flying out of Detroit will soon be able to opt into a beta test of a technology that allows different people to see images and info personal to them simultaneously presented on a single display.
The idea is that anyone who opts into the beta trial can approach a display and see travel information, shopping suggestions, directions and more in their own language. But rather than having to search through multiple entries on a tightly-packed screen, each traveler will be able to view tailored information at the same time, and on the same screen, as up to around a hundred others.
This effectively means that flight information related to a Spanish-speaking passenger would only be visible to that person – in Spanish – while an American would look up and see something about their journey in English, someone from France could get directions to their gate in French, and so on. All looking at the same display, at the same time.
Sounds like science fiction, right? But it’s all in the way onscreen pixels are delivered. The Parallel Reality technology is the work of Redmond-based firm Misapplied Sciences, which says that each pixel on a display “can simultaneously project up to millions of light rays of different colors and brightness. Each ray can then be software-directed to a specific person.” So as a customer approaches a display board, some of the pixels on the display will be targeted just to them, displaying information tailored just for them.
“This breakthrough technology has to be seen to be believed – it has the potential to make even the busiest airports much easier to navigate, even if you don’t speak the language,” said Delta Airlines’ COO Gil West.
The display technology will be in place at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from mid-2020, near the Delta Sky Club on Concourse A at the McNamara Terminal. Passengers who have opted into the trial will scan their boarding pass and select their preferred language. When they walk past the display, they will each see directions, flight info, boarding details and more in their selected language, and relevant only to them.
Misapplied Sciences – in which Delta has invested – is looking to eventually bring its Parallel Reality display technology to stadiums, theme parks, convention centers and other public venues. A video showing how the Delta experience might work can be seen via the source link below.
Same screen, different message: Delta trials Parallel Reality display [New Atlas]