Okay, so here’s a possible future development in air travel that you probably never thought of, and one that sounds like it’s totally from a sci-fi movie. But is has the potential to revolutionise the industry…
British Airways is currently investigating the viability of adding a ‘digital pill’ to its in-flight menu, which will be an ingestible sensor that allows cabin crew to monitor the comfort levels of passengers remotely, including their temperature, anxiety levels, and whether or not they’re hungry.
The pills will also keep an eye on stomach acidity levels, changing in-flight dining options accordingly, as well as keep track of a passenger’s sleep cycles, helping to reduce dreaded jet-lag.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
By transmitting this information wirelessly to a centralised system, airline staff will be able to determine whether passengers onboard are enjoying their flight, and take appropriate action accordingly, such as handing out blankets and snacks, or suggesting a movie to deal with in-flight jitters – all without passengers having to press the call button.
“We are always looking to deliver new innovations for our customers, whether it be in design or digital transformation. As such, we develop many ideas and submit many patents.”
A BA spokeswoman speaking to the Standard.
Other environmental components of the flying experience, such as seat position, lighting and air conditioning, could also be adjusted to suit the passenger’s current state, ultimately making their flight much more enjoyable.
It’s all about controlling the flying environment for the passenger to ensure total comfort and wellness at 30,000 feet in the sky, and making these adjustments automatically without the passenger having to manually enter their preferences.
It’s one step closer to total in-flight customisation.
“What is desired is a system that facilitates greater efficiencies within the aircraft travel environment and enables improved control and personalisation of the passenger’s travel environment, in particular for enhanced passenger wellness and wellbeing when flying.”
Taken from British Airways’ patent application.
The pill is expected to be about the size of an almond, and will pass through the system within a couple of days.
Source: www.standard.co.uk
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
Although this type of technology sounds pretty far away in terms of development, the fact is that these digital pills are already in use in other industries.
For example, doctors and pharmacists are already using these ingestible sensors – developed by US company Proteus Digital Health – to monitor whether their patients are taking their medication or not.
But by adopting this technology for the travel industry, British Airways may in fact be onto something revolutionary, changing the game and making long-haul travel just that little bit easier.
*Source: Mail Online