French Airport Tests 'Virtual' Hologram Boarding Agents

Associated Press, by Staff ^ | 8/18/11 | Staff

[Nachum]

Orly, France - An airport in France is experimenting with "virtual" boarding agents in a bid to jazz up its terminals with 21st century avatars who always smile, don't need breaks and never go on strike. The pilot project at Paris' Orly airport began last month, and has so far been met with a mix of amusement and surprise by travelers, who frequently try to touch and speak with the strikingly life-like video images that greet them and direct them to their boarding gate. The images materialize seemingly out of thin air when a boarding agent -- a real live

[null and void]

An airport in France is experimenting with "virtual" boarding agents in a bid to jazz up its terminals with 21st century avatars who always smile, don't need breaks and never go on strike.

And will never, ever notice anything suspicious...

[Nervous Tick]

>> The images materialize seemingly out of thin air

Great. Just like my Mom did when I was a kid, trying to get away with something I should’t be doing... :-)

[apillar]

I love this high-tech stuff, now this is the type of futuristic technology we were promised when I was young!!

[magellan]

Great. More excuses for Obama to blame for job losses. First it was the robots, now it will be the holograms.

[grumpygresh]

Don’t tell 0bama. He will create millions of these virtual people to cast votes for Democrats.

[mmichaels1970]

21st century avatars who always smile, don't need breaks and never go on strike.

Provided they don't unionize.

[rhombus]

So that’s how they astroturfed all those Obama town hall meetings.

[EscapedDutch]

And will never, ever notice anything suspicious...

Much like our own TSA then...

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Here I am, in my glory days as a star ship doctor. Now, with Obanomics, all I can hope for is an airport gig.

[null and void]

Much like our own TSA then...

Only physically attractive, polite, and guaranteed not to molest you or your children.

[Tallguy]

Will the ‘virtual’ French ticket agents be as snotty & arrogant as the real thing? Will they strike like the real thing?

[WOBBLY BOB]

My cartoon bubble has me getting an enhanced pat down from Seven of Nine.

[az_gila]

They need several buttons so you can select which French boarding agent you want...

[AnAmericanAbroad]

I'd like to select this boarding agent, please

[WOBBLY BOB]

Frequent flyer gold member elite members will have the option to upgrade to have an enhanced interrogation by a French Maid Hologram who will ask you about your suspicious package.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Whoa! I won’t get that image out of my mind, any time soon.

[Salvavida]

I wonder if you raise your voice at it, will it raise its arms to surrender?

[jakerobins]

Well that would be one way to get more people to Fly!! LOL...... The Problem would be keeping Bill Clinton from going thru security 15 times a day....

[Tallguy]

I wonder if you raise your voice at it, will it raise its arms to surrender?

Only if you have selected the "Shave Underarms" under the "Grooming" menu.