Dallas Fort Worth Airport Adds Digital Assistant to Kiosks

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport has confirmed it will be expanding the presence of its digital assistant, which has been piloted at the airport’s Terminal B since June.

The assistant is built into an interactive panel located at information kiosks, with a life-like image of the assistant which can recognize when a person is in front of it and interact with user queries in a natural manner, similar to a human airport representative. 

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Through the digital assistant, airport visitors can get up to the minute flight and gate information, alongside navigation to gates, restaurants, and other facilities. The assistant is also on hand for airport support, and can provide instruction to visitors who are less comfortable with online resources. 

“In an era when the air travel industry is up against serious logistical challenges, maximizing both efficiency and customer experience is more important than ever,” said Greg Cross, CEO of Soul Machines. “That’s why the work of DFW to embrace the concept of Digital People and introduce Digital Iris to its travelers is commendable. As the airport’s travelers are already discovering, the potential of visual AI is huge and we are just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”

Soul Machines provide the autonomous animation for the digital assistant, while IBM’s Watson AI assistant is responsible for understanding queries and response. 

“AI and automation are providing businesses with the capabilities they need to deliver more personalized and seamless customer care experiences, while enabling their employees to focus on complex higher value tasks,” said Dinesh Nirmal, General Manager for Data, AI and Automation at IBM. “The launch of the Digital Iris solution at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is a great example of how AI can be applied to set a new standard for travelers and help support airport employees.”

Dallas Fort Worth Airport will expand the digital assistant to cover more areas of the airport. This first expansion is expected to happen before the end of the year. 

Airports are fast becoming one of the best testbeds for next-generation technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and 5G. At Heathrow Airport, London, airport visitors can be escorted to gates and terminals via an autonomous pod, developed by British engineering firm Ultra Global PRT.