San Diego International Airport (SAN) and its Airport Innovation Lab this week launched four new test concepts at the airport, including virtual reality (VR) headsets and smart waste bins.
Four companies have been working with the airport and lab virtually since mid-March to ready their concepts for the actual in-terminal launch. They are: SkyLights, which offers travelers clean and safe-to-use VR headsets that provide immersive entertainment both in-flight and in the airport; ZeroWaste, a smart waste bin enabled with auto-sorting robotics that accepts waste and grinds it into small pellets and packages the raw sorted material; Encora, which provided reusable food and beverage containers that utilize software and QR/RFID chips to assist users in depositing containers in a designated smart collection station for on-site cleaning and future use; and Keko, which provided reusable dishware in a smart and safe package with a contactless pick-up experience.
“This is an exceptional batch of innovators and we are already extremely impressed with their perseverance and resilience,” said Rick Belliotti, director of customer experience & innovation at SAN. “We have confidence that these solutions, if successful at SAN, will not only add to our customer experience but will evolve and survive as the travel experience changes.”
