Talking Flat Lady Now Yammering Away At Logan

June 22, 2012 by Dave Haynes

Now I know Logan Airport has some people who understand digital signage and what you can do with it (met one), but I also know based on looking over an RFP for Boston’s airport a couple of years ago that any decisions go through a nightmarish run of committees and processes.

We took a look at getting involved, and decided we didn’t want to have our heads explode.

Which leads me to the latest appearance of Talking Flat Lady, who despite all logic continues to be bought up by airports and hospitals who find this little projection trick just remarkable.

Logan is now using one of these virtual mannequins, called Carla, in Terminal E with the idea the thing will hasten passenger flow and enhance the overall screening process by endlessly telling some 6,000 travelers a day to have their ID and boarding pass available for inspection, to remove their shoes, get stuff out of their pockets, and haul out their laptops and tablets for all to see.

The idea is that she will free up a TSA officer from doing that hollering.

“This new virtual greeter gives us an opportunity to collaborate with the TSA on a more efficient security checkpoint by educating passengers ahead of time on the do’s and the dont’s of security screening. Our best asset in making the security screening process move along faster is an informed and prepared customer,” says an airport official, talking with WCVB.

If the airport likes what it does, it will buy more of the units – at about $26K a pop, from Tensator.

I hope – just hope – this is not the crown jewel in the airport’s digital signage strategy. This program at least makes more sense than the ones in New York, in that someone or something is apparently needed to remind people to do all the screening things that needed to get done.

Photo from WVCB