The common goal between all travellers

Karima Kouidri

Ayman Aboabah, CEO KAIA – Keynote interview, “The common goal between all travellers.”

At Aviation Festival Asia, Mr Ayman Aboabah, CEO King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) joined renowned travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt for a keynote interview. During the conversation, Aboabah discussed the airport’s plans for a seamless passenger journey which focuses on innovation as well as financial and environmental sustainability. In line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals, the airport is preparing for a rapid scaling up of demand expecting to grow over 2.5 times within the next seven years. A significant component of this demand comes from religious travellers. Approximately 40 per cent of the predicted passenger traffic is formed of religious travellers, with the airport acting as a gateway for pilgrims to the Holy Mosques (Hajj and Umrah). The interview highlights the varying requirements and expectations of religious travellers, many of whom may be first time flyers, people from small towns, and some who do not engage with technology on the same level as the average traveller. Consequently, this presents KAIA with a range to consider when crafting the best travel experience for all passengers. Aboabah explains during the conversation that despite these travellers speaking hundreds of languages, coming from all over the world, harbouring differences in education and mindset, they all share a common goal; the desire for seamless travel.

For more information see: https://wp.me/pdIrRr-5Kp

Five airport innovations that will make travel easier in 2023

Karima Kouidri

BYJEAN CARMELA LIM 2023-03-10

MONOPOLY919 / Shutterstock.com

We have often wondered what airports will look like in the future. But with the fast development of new technology, the future airports that we envisioned seem to be gradually becoming a reality.

From advanced biometric capture software and shoe scanners to immersive retail experiences, AeroTime takes a closer look at five newly implemented innovations that are coming to an airport near you.

Biometric technology 

Image credit: metamorworks / Shutterstock.com

Biometric technology has been around since 1969 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) pushed for the use of automated fingerprint identification. The first fingerprint scanners were introduced in 1975, and in the 1990s and 2000s, biometric security authentication is commonplace in companies and institutions. 

In 2001, United States legislation mandated the use of biometrics at airports for entry and exit following the 9/11 attacks. Since then, the use of biometrics, particularly hand and fingerprint scanning, have been widely used in airports worldwide. 

The pandemic accelerated the development of non-contact biometric authentication to facilitate a more hygienic and seamless experience for passengers. The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 2021 global passenger survey showed that 73% of passengers were willing to share their biometric data to improve airport processes (up from 46% in 2019).

According to the Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA) 2021 Air Transport IT Insights, nearly a quarter of airports worldwide had begun to invest in biometric solutions and airline investment in biometric boarding is expected to rise 60% by 2024. 

Two notable airlines that use contactless biometrics for its passenger processing are Emirates and British Airways.

Emirates’ biometric path at Dubai International Airport (DXB) launched in October 2020 and is open to Emirates passengers traveling from and through DXB airport. 

Using the latest biometric technology, a mix of facial and iris recognition, Emirates passengers can now check in for their flight, complete immigration formalities, enter the airline lounge, and board flights, simply by strolling through the airport. Biometric data can be collected without the need for passengers to even stop. 

In November 2022, British Airways launched a “smart technology trial”, where a group of passengers were invited to scan their faces, passports and boarding passes on their smartphone or tablet ahead of travel. The information was kept safe and secure. 

When the trial passengers arrived at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5,  Smart Bio-Pod cameras verified their identity in under three seconds, allowing them to keep their passport safely in their pocket until they reached their destination. 

Mobile passport control app 

Image credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock.com

Some of the latest airport security innovations can literally be kept in the palm of a hand.

Launched in March 2023, the US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Mobile Passport Control (MPC) program is now a mobile phone app that allows eligible passengers flying to the US from Canada to avoid the customs queue. 

According to the CBP, travelers who successfully use the MPC app will no longer have to complete a paper form or use an automated passport control (APC) kiosk. As a result, travelers may experience shorter wait times, less congestion and more efficient processing.

The app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App and Google Play stores. This technology is made possible because of secure information sharing. Travelers will be prompted to create a profile with their passport information, including the traveler’s name, gender, date of birth, and country of citizenship.

 It is currently available for eligible travelers to use upon arrival at MPC approved sites.

Next generation explosives trace detection

Image credit: Suppawit Rmmabut / Shutterstock.com

The MIT Lincoln Laboratory is a US-government funded research and development center chartered to apply advanced technology towards national security. 

In February 2023, the lab announced that its researchers are working to develop an explosive detection system that would work in tandem with a canine fleet to improve current airport security systems. 

Researchers are developing a machine that can mimic canine abilities to detect concealed explosives, a ‘superpower’ of four-legged friends that airports have relied on for decades.

The team’s research builds on the laboratory’s ongoing work to create and use a mass spectrometer to help train bomb-sniffing dogs, a project that is supported by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Detection Canine Program. 

Researchers are using the spectrometer to measure explosive vapors in order to understand the requirements for creating an operational explosive detection system. This system would then work in tandem with the canine fleet to improve current airport security systems.

The laboratory’s end goal is to build a non-contact explosives detection instrument through vapor detection. 

This technology will certainly be useful, especially when passengers check in baggage that contains explosives. 

Shoe scanner technology

Image credit: d13 / Shutterstock.com

While the technology is still in development, it is one that many will be relieved to see implemented in real life.

In 2010, a CNN survey showed passengers dreaded removing shoes at airport security the most. Although the survey is more than a decade old, passengers in 2022 still find pat-downs and shoe removal at airport security to be a humiliating experience.  

The US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has licensed technology for a shoe scanner developed in 2021 to Liberty Defense Holdings, a concealed weapons detection company based in Georgia.

According to the developers, the scanner allows shoes to be screened without the need for passengers to remove them. The millimeter-wave scanners use advanced imaging to detect concealed objects in footwear. Passengers will be asked to step on a low-profile imaging platform for two seconds while electromagnetic waves generate an image of their shoes.

The PNNL said that the shoe scanner could improve wait times at security kiosks by as much as 15% to 20% by eliminating the time it takes for travelers to remove their shoes.

Immersive retail experiences

Image credit: globalcosmeticsnews.com

Passengers can expect more immersive retail experiences at airports with the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality technology. 

A 2017 study carried out by the University of Southern Mississippi showed that emotions are involved when people shop at airports. Leisure travelers often feel happy and buy souvenirs to share with friends back home and also to give themselves a reminder of their holiday. Boredom at the airport can also bring passengers to shop in order to kill time.

So airport retailers are taking advantage of advanced technology to further improve conversion and sales. In November 2021, ahead of the holiday season, LHR airport partnered with Chanel, Dufry and JCDecaux to launch a No 5 Spaceship activation in the departure lounge at Terminal 5.

The immersive experience included a “Find No 5” game for customers, which sells the brand’s fragrance line as well as a curated offering of skincare and cosmetics. 

An augmented reality (AR) digital screen also allowed shoppers to virtually try on products.

According to Future Travel Experience, old-fashioned “bricks and mortar” shopping is in decline and such experiential retail tactics could be the answer to increasing conversion and yield at the airport. 

source : https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/five-airport-innovations-that-will-make-travel-easier-in-2023

A scientific first: A robot able to “smell” using a biological sensor

Karima Kouidri

A new technological development by Tel Aviv University has made it possible for a robot to smell using a biological sensor. The sensor sends electrical signals as a response to the presence of a nearby odor, which the robot can detect and interpret. The biological and technological breakthrough was led by doctoral student Neta Shvil of Tel Aviv University’s Sagol School of Neuroscience, Dr. Ben Maoz of the Fleischman Faculty of Engineering and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, and Prof. Yossi Yovel and Prof. Amir Ayali of the School of Zoology and the Sagol School of Neuroscience. The results of the study were published in the prestigious journal Biosensor and Bioelectronics.

Outsight Raises $22 Million to Accelerate the Deployment of LiDAR Across All Industries

Karima Kouidri

October 20, 2022 07:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Outsight, leader in the development of LiDAR-based 3D Software solutions, has announced that it has received funding totaling $22 million in a round that was co-led by Energy Innovation Capital (EIC) and the Defense Innovation Fund managed by Bpifrance, alongside Groupe ADP and historical investors BNP Paribas, SPDG, Demeter, Safran, and Faurecia. The funding underscores the growing significance of software integration in the quickly developing field of LiDAR beyond self-driving cars. It is also a resounding endorsement of Outsight’s industry-leading work in deploying 3D Software Solutions across a number of industries, including Smart Cities, Aviation, Robotics, Industry and Logistics.

“LiDAR is emancipating from its roots in self-driving car R&D to become the solution of choice in large-scale applications in mature markets, thanks to the new category of enabling software that we have created”Tweet this

The largest airport LiDAR-based solution, successfully tested in Paris-Charles de Gaulle (ADP Group), is just one among dozens of new customers Outsight has deployed solutions for and supported in recent months. The software solutions of the company have also been widely embraced in a number of other markets throughout Europe, the United States, Asia and the Middle East.

The Software Brain of LiDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging)

The increasing mastery of this 3D Spatial Intelligence technology is the next paradigm shift which will revolutionize business as we know it: with 3D LiDAR, anything that moves, monitors moving objects, or measures volumes in complex dynamic environments can become more intelligent, efficient, and safe.

LiDAR hardware is now inexpensive and delivers high performance. However, the hardware alone can only be efficiently used by a small number of 3D experts. There are also many problems associated with the massive amounts of data it generates and the lack of standardization across dozens of different hardware vendors.

Outsight’s Real-time Software solves these problems, enabling and accelerating any new project seeking to harness the potential of LiDAR hardware technology from any vendor in the quickest and easiest way.

Accelerating a steady growth trajectory

This new round of funding is intended to further support the company’s expansion, its ambitious product roadmap including Edge and Cloud Processing, and to strengthen its strategic position as the leading Software Pure Player.

The company has customers in many different markets and contexts:

– In the Automotive and Smart Vehicles market, Stellantis is using Outsight technology to process massive amounts of 3D LiDAR data. Other similar customers are active in Commercial and Industrial vehicles, not only for full automation but also vehicle safety.

– In the Smart Infrastructure market, Groupe ADP is a good example for airports’ people flow monitoring. Outsight is also very active in other applications like Smart Cities (Vulnerable road users detection, Highway monitoring, Parking) and Security.

– Another important family of applications is mobile robotics, with customers like ECA Group. Robotics’ customers of Outsight use LiDAR technology for several cases including Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Industrial Autonomous Mobile Robots and remote operation.

– Industrial Applications include Volume Measurement, with customers like Dunakontroll, that combine LiDAR with their own moisture sensing solution thanks to Outsight. Other customers use Outsight’s software in warehouse stock assessment, agriculture and forestry management contexts.

LiDAR goes to the Cloud

After the first real-time solution that only needed a web browser to function (Edge LiDAR processing software) now Outsight is going a step further and integrating this technology with the first Cloud-based LiDAR processing solution of dynamic scenes, which is able to effectively process enormous amounts of 3D data – on the order of tens of Petabytes.

This new product aims to address various use cases, such as Digital Twin applications and Automatic 3D Data Annotation and it puts Outsight in a prime position to shape this emerging market.

According to Raul Bravo, President & Cofounder of Outsight, “LiDAR is emancipating from its roots in self-driving car R&D to become the solution of choice in large-scale applications in mature markets, thanks to the new category of enabling software that we have created”.

Adrien Muller, Principal at Bpifrance states: “After supporting Outsight’s early stages of development through our innovation funding, we are delighted to support this new stage of growth by acquiring a stake in the company. Our investment reflects our collective ambition to widely disseminate the benefits of LiDAR technologies thanks to Outsight’s unique software-based approach which simplifies their use and reduces their deployment costs.”

“The opportunity for 3D spatial intelligence and autonomy, beyond autonomous vehicles, is massive and untapped.” said Christopher Smith, Managing Director, Energy Innovation Capital. “Outsight’s technically elegant solution unlocks the power of LiDAR for mass adoption by solving the complex, raw data problem and providing valuable insights across a broad range of applications. We are very excited to partner with the Outsight team to accelerate expansion in the US and global markets.”

According to Edward Arkwright, Deputy CEO of Groupe ADP, “Outsight’s development ambitions are in line with our strategy of increasing integration of LiDAR to improve our airport operations, as part of our smart airport ambition. By supporting Outsight in this funding round, we have a key alliance to innovate together around the deployment of LiDAR technology, which is extremely promising, both in Paris and internationally in our network of airports.“

Legal counsel and investment bank

  • Joffe & Associés represented by Thomas SALTIEL, Camille MALBEZIN and Rudy DIAMANT
  • Gide represented by David-James SEBAG; Julien NEGRONI ; Bastien DUCLOS
  • Woodside Capital Partners, Investment Bank, represented by Rudy Burger and Nishant Jadhav.

Outsight in videos:

Algorithms Overview

People Tracking with Trajectories and IDs

LiDAR flow monitoring in the airport

Outsight Forestry Mapping

About Outsight

Outsight develops real-time 3D LiDAR perception solutions. Our mission is to make LiDAR-based Spatial Intelligence become plug-and-play so it can be used by application developers and integrators in any market. Using any LiDAR with our Software processing capabilities allows Smart Machines and Smart Cities to achieve an unprecedented level of situational awareness. We believe that accelerating the adoption of LiDAR technology with easy-to-use and scalable software will highly contribute to creating transformative solutions that will make a smarter and safer world.

To learn more: https://www.outsight.ai/

About Bpifrance and the Defense Innovation Fund

Bpifrance Investissement is the management company that handles Bpifrance’s equity investments. Bpifrance is the French national investment bank: it finances businesses – at every stage of their development – through loans, guarantees, equity investments and export insurances. Bpifrance also provides extra financial services (training, consultancy) to help entrepreneurs meet their challenges (innovation, export…).

For more information, please visit: https://www.bpifrance.com

Follow us on Twitter: @Bpifrance – @BpifrancePresse

Created in 2020 by the French Ministry of Defense and managed by Bpifrance, the Defense Innovation Fund aims to support the growth and development of innovative companies whose dual technologies are of particular interest to the defense sector, through equity and quasi-equity investments. With a target size of €400 million, mostly subscribed by the Defense Innovation Agency (AID), the fund contributes to the emergence of new critical size players at French and European level.

About Energy Innovation Capital

Energy Innovation Capital is the premier capital provider for innovators serving the energy industry. EIC provides early and growth-stage funding for visionary entrepreneurs tackling global energy challenges with transformative, market-leading solutions. EIC’s team leverages our industry expertise, networks and collaborative approach to help talented entrepreneurs push the boundaries of what’s possible and build great companies. To learn more, visit www.energyinnovationcapital.com.

About Groupe ADP

Groupe ADP develops and manages airports, including Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly and Paris-Le Bourget. In 2021, the group handled through its brand Paris Aéroport more than 41.9 million passengers and 2.1 million metric tons of freight and mail at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly, and more than 118.1 million passengers in airports abroad.

Boasting an exceptional geographic location and a major catchment area, the Group is pursuing its strategy of adapting and modernizing its terminal facilities and upgrading quality of services; the group also intends to develop its retail and real estate businesses. In 2021, group revenue stood at €2,777 million and net income at -€248 million.

To learn more, visit www.groupe-adp.com Follow us on Twitter: @GroupeADP

About Demeter

Demeter is a major European player in venture capital, private equity and infrastructure for the energy and ecological transition. Its funds invest from €1m to €30m to support companies in the sector at all stages of their development, innovative start-ups, small and mid-cap companies, as well as infrastructure projects. The Demeter team counts 37 people based in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Madrid, and Düsseldorf, manages €1.2bn and has completed 200 investments over 17 years.

www.demeter-im.com

Contacts

Media Contacts Outsight
Jean-François Kitten +33 (0)6 11 29 30 28 jf@licencek.com
Anna Azarova +33 (0)7 49 29 51 04 a.azarova@licencek.com
Avtansh Behal +33 (0)7 69 53 08 25 a.behal@licencek.com

Press contact – Bpifrance
Sophie Santandrea
Sophie.santandrea@bpifrance.fr
+ 33 (0)7 88 09 28 17

source : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221020005562/en/Outsight-Raises-22-Million-to-Accelerate-the-Deployment-of-LiDAR-Across-All-Industries

Israel: Phone app estimates waiting time at Ben Gurion Airport

Karima Kouidri
Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90Travelers in line at the Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel, on July 7, 2022.

The app creates 72-hour forecasts to estimate the ‘congestion-level of takeoffs’

With complaints rising over long lines at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, which welcomes 70,000-80,000 passengers per day, a new phone app was created to estimate the “traffic” inside the airport.

The application, developed by Tzahi Zilbershtein, who works at Google as an engineering lead, is currently available in Hebrew in both mobile and web versions, Globes reported. 

Zilbershtein came up with the idea as he travels abroad twice a month to manage employees around Europe, therefore spending a lot of time in Ben Gurion. 

His invention allows travelers to predict in real-time the amount of time they will spend checking in their bags and passing the security checks. 

“The algorithm examines the congestion-level of takeoffs according to a mathematical model that I have built and tells you about the degree of crowding at any given time in the check-in and security halls,” Zilbershtein was quoted as saying.

“The data is based on information from the Israel Airports Authority. The information on flights is available to the public and there is a government application programming interface that relates to the next 72 hours. The congestion in takeoffs is an important statistic and it’s possible to learn a lot about the congestion at the airport,” Zilbershtein said, noting that the app collects no data on users and reports can be made anonymously. 

At the height of the summer season, about 1,400 employees were lacking in Ben Gurion, causing delays, canceled flights, long queues, and lost luggage.

source : https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/technology-science/1658832587-israel-new-application-estimates-waiting-time-at-ben-gurion-airport

Fly to Gate : A touchless biometric journey improving passenger experience and airport efficiency

Karima Kouidri

Providing passengers with a unique, easy, highly intuitive travel experience is a top priority for airports and airlines.

We have created Fly to Gate, based on IATA’s OneID concept, the end-to-end airport self-service experience for travelers.​​​​
Thales Fly to Gate solution combines Thales deep expertise in  biometrics, identity management, border control, cybersecurity and  system integration.

Effective self-service solutions that airports and airlines can implement at their own pace are a must considering the rise in air travellers.

Air travel is exciting! It is the start of a journey. But long queues can sometimes make it stressful. In order for air travel stakeholders to keep customers satisfied, while optimizing airport operational efficiency, a seamless passenger experience is crucial. Thales Fly to Gate solution enables a touchless, fast and easy passenger journey – from check-in (whether at home or at the airport) to boarding. It combines Thales’ deep expertise in biometrics, identity management, border, security and system integration, to offer an end-to-end solution that improves both passenger experience and airport efficiency. Thales Fly to Gate, compliant with IATA’s OneID concept, uses biometric authentication at the mandatory airport checkpoints, allowing passengers to move through quickly and effortlessly – and with no compromise on security and personal data protection. To learn more about this solution visit our Fly to Gate page: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/market…