Next On The Big Screen? Your Personal Travel Information. Delta is rolling out beta technology where travelers can view their personal flight information -- and only theirs -- all on the same screen.
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Delta wants to declutter crowded airport screens, and the solution is a complete overhaul, starting with Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW).
The new sci-fi-esque "Parallel Reality" technology allows customers to view personal flight information on one shared big screen rather than searching for gate numbers amid dozens of departures and arrivals.
"Customers looking for evidence that the airport of the future is here may want to book a trip through Detroit Metropolitan Airport now that PARALLEL REALITY technology is live," Delta said in a press release announcing the launch.
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The name itself, "Parallel Reality," speaks to the function of the technology, which feels like something out of a science fiction movie. It's intended to simplify travel and mitigate some of the chaos felt when scrambling to find flight information.
By scanning their boarding pass or — if enrolled in Delta's digital ID program — their face, travelers can view their own personal flight information on a giant overhead screen. The technology allows for 100 people to use it at once, but people will only see their own individual travel details.
But how does that work, exactly?
Developed by Southern California-based start-up Misapplied Sciences, the tech works by each pixel on the screen showing multiple projections and light to different places in the same area, as opposed to a standard TV, which releases light in only one direction.
While the technology is only being tested at DTW right now, both Delta and Misapplied Sciences are optimistic about future expansion.
Greg Forbes, Delta's managing director of airport experience, told The Washington Post just how positive the feedback has been thus far.
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"If everything keeps going as positively as it has so far, I would expect to see it in more airports and in more places in the airport," he told the outlet.
Still, the technology is in its beta stage, and privacy advocate Electric Frontier Foundation says it's reviewing the system to see whether it is a privacy concern, according to CNN.
