Ground-handling firm Sats aims to cut loading time for baggage and cargo from an hour to about 45 minutes with the use of smart glasses. The improvement will cut waiting times for passengers and shorten the transit period for airfreight shippers, Sats said yesterday.
The glasses employ augmented reality, which allows users to look at real-life objects through a screen and see superimposed computer-generated information such as text and graphics.
Ramp handling staff will be able to look at QR codes on baggage and cargo containers and instantly see details. This will replace the paper-based loading reports now being used for ramp handling operations, said Sats president and chief executive Alex Hungate at a briefing yesterday.
Sats is undertaking the smart-glasses initiative with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. About 600 Sats ramp handling staff are undergoing training to use the glasses.
The smart-glasses technology is already being employed for training purposes on selected flights, and is expected to be implemented across all Sats operations in Singapore within the next six to nine months.
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who tried out the smart glasses at Changi Airport yesterday, said the use of technology such as augmented reality will “keep our airport and airlines ahead of their competition“.
In his National Day Rally speech last month, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong emphasised the need for technology to make the economy more productive, as part of the country’s Smart Nation push.
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Source: ANN Asia News Network, 6 September 2017