Passengers navigating John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Terminal 4 last week spotted a celebrity cameo during their travels: America’s Got Talent star Howie Mandel, beaming in live via hologram technology thanks to platform Proto.
Mandel appeared in life-size 4k at the airport’s international terminal to greet surprised travelers with the declaration that he was “excited about traveling through JFK Terminal 4 today,” adding, “My airline of choice is Proto. I love to travel without traveling — beam me there!”
Proto — an LA-based company whose technology has been installed at other New York landmarks like Rockefeller Center, Moynihan Station, the Barclays Center, NYU and Lincoln Center — previously employed Mandel to herald JFK T4’s Arts & Culture program, though last week’s installation was the first time the America’s Got Talent host appeared live.The Terminal 4 platform has also hosted a program from Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny introducing the tourist attraction’s alligators, sloths, warthogs and pelicans in holographic form.
“There’s something like magic that happens when people see Proto holograms for the first time,” said David Nussbaum, inventor and CEO of Proto Inc. “At JFK Terminal 4, the whole world is stopping by and having this experience every day. To see the New York area’s best people and places represented in our devices in this amazing space really is a dream come true.”
A Proto spokesperson added that Mandel’s appearance may not be the last celebrity cameo at the terminal, noting: “We can beam anyone into any Proto unit anywhere on earth. We’re talking with JFK Terminal 4 about doing more surprise appearances.”
