3 Reasons Robots Should Replace Airport Staff
Every time I fly I feel frustrated by the lack of order, the stupidity, and the overall inefficiency of the process. And it's not just the fact that everyone hates the TSA, and the security screening process that seems to fulfill a hunger for power rather than a sense of logic. No, the entire process of air travel is dumb. Let's start with the most obvious.
Our security processes are slow, and could be safer. Going through security checkpoints during travel we soon come to realize that there are lots of holes and unnecessary steps in the process. You have to take off your shoes, unless you're part of the special pre-check group (then you can leave on your shoes). You're not allowed to bring one large container of liquid, but you can bring many small containers equaling that amount or greater of liquid. And then beyond that, people get held up for some real stupid stuff, like a mom trying to carry on breast milk for their infant or a kid bringing a Buzz Lightyear toy on the plane. Yet, it's clearly possible to smuggle at least the components of a weapon past security, if for example you use a plastic 3D printed gun. If we had robots that used the power of search and image recognition software to log images of every known item in existence, we could easily expedite this process. Couple that with a common sense machine (hopefully someone is working on that) and voila, airport security is better than ever.
People don't know how to board and off-board planes. I always try to be the last person to board a plane because I hate waiting behind slow people trying to figure out how to fit their oversized bags into tiny overhead compartments. Even so, I always end up waiting. Sometimes people just chat, or ask to change seats, or get confused or try to order drinks or other inefficient things that prevent me and everyone else from getting in their seats. It's really not that hard to sit down. When the time comes that all tickets become digital, I think simple tracking should speed up this process. Every time you travel, your device (think of it like a fitbit for travel efficiency) will track the time it takes you to do simple tasks, like sitting in your seat and standing up from your seat. The slowest people will be banished to the back of the plane and the fastest will get front row seats to speed town. And then we'll use robots to mobilize and expedite people to their seats.
The system for luggage retrieval is likely arbitrary. I have always wondered how the luggage carriers figure out which luggages to put through onto the conveyor belt and which not to put through. I've also wondered why, no matter what, there is always a lag between the time it takes to get to the baggage collection, and the time to pick up the baggage. Can we get some slides and self driving robot cars to bring the luggage to the right place, immediately as the planes land? And while we're at it, can we have these robot luggage handlers prioritize some luggage over others. If for example, you're on of those speedy travelers with a high efficiency rating.
So there's my tirade on air travel. Humans are bad at logistics. Humans are power hungry. I accept our robot overlords.
