Leveraging IoT To Streamline Automation At The Airports

We are slowly moving toward a digital revolution and internet of things (IoT) has a very significant role to play in that. IoT is taking the world by storm. Everything that we see around us is somehow influenced by IoT and this is exactly what IoT was supposed to do. Just like every other field, IoT is slowly tightening its grip over the local and international aviation services. Thousands of airports across the world are taking full-fledged benefits of the IoT technologies. For instance, the digital check-in procedures at the airports have eliminated the need of lining up at the check-in counters. Not only that, once you have checked-in and gone through the security check, you can get real-time updates on your smartphone regarding the current status of your flight.

All these methods have greatly alleviated the complexities faced by the travellers while boarding their flight. But to tell you the truth, we are vaguely using one third of the IoT resources as of now and there’s much more we can do to make the entire process even more effortless. Here’s what else we can do with IoT to automate the tasks at the airports.

Also read How IoT Influences The Manufacturing Process.

IoT For Making Smart Airports

There are times when the airports are flooded with people going from one checkpoint to another or waiting for their plane’s arrival. Complications arise when the travellers are carrying heavy luggage with them. We often see bags getting misplaced at the airport and sometimes it takes hours to get things back to order. This is where IoT can be used and this is where it must be used. The use of IoT sensors can help you keep a track of your luggage wherever it is at any time. That way, at least you know exactly where to look for it, no need to be confused at all. For all one knows, this is just a trivial example of what IoT can do. In fact, there’s much more to it.

You can track the flow of people from one checkpoint to another, you can track the current status of your flight, you can see the availability of vacant seats in your flight if there is any and you can request for the change of seats. No only that, we can design IoT enabled wearables for the passengers and the airport staff, establishing a virtual connection between every thing imaginable. The wearables can help the travellers guiding them through the checkpoints and ultimately toward their final destination. They can also do so with the help of GPS based apps installed in their smartphones. We just need to think of the possibilities and there’s so many things we can do to make the process smooth and less time consuming.

The Role of Sensors

Automatic sensors are a crucial part of IoT and they can be used in so many ways to make the make the boarding process smooth, fast and trouble free. Sensors provide valuable insights to track the locations of various objects and even individuals. An international study reveals that around one third of the airports are already leveraging the full-fledged benefits of IoT by installing right sensors at the right places. Over the next three to four years, there should be at least 50% rise in the number. So clearly, we are starting to grasp the role of sensors in streamlining the boarding procedures at the airport and we might have even more smarter airports at some point in the near future.