The Airport of Tomorrow isn’t coming fast enough.
Unlike most everything else in life, airports have actually gotten worse in today’s modern age. All the technology has only managed to slow things down and raise stress levels.
Things have got to get better, however.
According to Michael Dumiak writing for Fast Company, Siemens is working hard to make this happen.
Dumiak highlights how the German company is trying to perfect a luggage distribution system as well as the fickle science of biometrics. Both of these concepts have been kicked around for a long time now. What I found most fascinating in Dumiak’s article, however, had to do with parking and check-in.
Apparently the 15,000 space garage at the Munich airport has an automated system that is able to locate the nearest free spot and provide directions to it through a series of LED screens. No more circling around for hours while your plane is getting ready to take off.
Dumiak also reveals that Lufthansa, KLM, and SAS are looking into a Siemens mobile application that will allow passengers to download a ticket’s bar code onto their phone and then swipe it through a scanner when boarding the plane. The application will also allow users to purchase tickets, change seats, and make other arrangements on the phone itself rather than a website or with a customer service rep. Expect some serious TSA red tape before this service ever arrives in America, however.