Holographs join airline security staff

It sounds like a riddle: Meet staff who are always on duty, but never there.

As reported by The Telegraph, Manchester and London Luton became the first airports in the world earlier this year to use holographic staff. The new, all-digital staff are based on actual airline employees who work in security. Like their flesh-and-blood counterparts, the holograms remind passengers to have their boarding cards ready and give other security instructions to speed up security checks. The four, all of whom are attractive and wholesome-looking, are so life-like (see video) that reportedly some passengers are attempting to converse with them.

Technically, these are not real holograms. The holograms used by Manchester, for example, are life-like rear projections on a well-made surface. Nonetheless, they are sophisticated enough to give you the impression you are sharing space with a 3D person, according to the Singularity Hub. The Hub predicts a switch from life-like virtual projections to actual holograms and other 3D technologies that don't require as much space. In fact, telepresence with holographic display is one of the emerging technologies receiving increased attention this year, according to an article in TMCnet. It is drawing the attention of both artists and businesses, despite the challenges of high costs and elaborate setup.

So which do you prefer - a real security agent reminding you to have your documents ready, or a hologram?

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