Touchless airport check-in: first in Australia at Avalon Airport

Elenium Automation announced it has expanded its relationship with Avalon Airport, signing a deal that will make Avalon the first airport in Australia to implement touchless self-service, ensuring world-class passenger safety and experience when the airport recommences flights.

Avalon Airport will become the first airport in Australia to implement this technology as an addition to Elenium’s full suite of automation technologies. The adoption of Elenium’s touchless technology demonstrates Avalon Airport’s commitment to providing passengers, airline partners, and staff with an effective, rapid response to the current COVID-19 virus, as well to future health risk scenarios. The implementation of the solution also underlines Avalon Airport’s continued drive to leverage state of the art technology to protect its passenger and optimise airport operations.

Building on its work to make the self-service experience accessible to all passengers, regardless of ability or age, last month Elenium announced it had developed touchless, patent-pending technologies that can also measure a passenger’s vital signs including temperature, respiratory and heart rate. The touchless component of this technology will be available at Avalon Airport kiosks and bag drops to assist in the fight against COVID-19 and other transmissible illnesses.

Avalon Airport CEO Justin Giddings, said: “The partnership between Elenium and Avalon demonstrates how quickly a response to the COVID-19 virus can be implemented. This solution will allow passengers to go through the self-service experience without touching a device, thereby providing a seamless, intuitive and safe method of moving quickly through the airport.”

Avalon Airport will instal six kiosks where instead of touching screens, passengers will control their interaction with the kiosks and bag drops via head movement. Cameras in kiosks and bag drops will link the movement of the passenger’s head with the movement of a cursor on the screen. In addition, passports can be read by holding them open in front of a camera, rather than by inserting them into a passport slot. This technology reduces the risk that a virus is transferred between multiple passengers touching the same devices.

Elenium Automation CEO and Co-founder, Aaron Hornlimann, said: “While this is very difficult time for the aviation industry, we have an opportunity to make the changes for passenger safety and well-being that will increase their confidence. We are very excited that Avalon is working with us to ensure the airport is in a great position to rebound from this crisis by giving their passengers and team a streamlined, safe airport experience.

“We believe the introduction of touchless self-service will encourage people to return to travel.” 
Elenium’s touchless technology is part of a broader solution the company has developed in response to the COVID-19 virus. The full suite of technology includes:
• Touchless control of a device using voice recognition (multiple languages), developed in partnership with Amazon Web Services
• Touchless control of a device using head movement control
• Touchless passport and identity card reading 
• Touchless vital sign detection, including temperature, respiratory and heart rates

Launched just over four years ago, Elenium has more than 700 check-in kiosks in use by more than 40 airlines across thirteen airports globally, including Hong Kong, Auckland, Avalon, Bangalore and Sydney airports.