Dubai: Robot cleaners on flights; pay for coffee with your face

The next time you alight from an aircraft, you could be confronted by an aircraft robot that washes, steams, and disinfects your seat. This innovation was showcased at Emirates Airlines headquarters during an innovation show called ForsaTEK. During demonstrations, the robotic arm pivoted 90 degrees to vacuum and steam airplane seats. Future modifications aim to allow the robot to pull out and clean trays, check seat pockets, and generate reports for operators if any seat defects are detected.

“We want it to pull out the trays and clean it,” said Keenan Hamza, Vice President Technology Futures & Innovation, Emirates Group. “We want it to check the seat pockets to see if there is anything that we left on the seat that needs to be handed over to the flyers. The beauty about this arm is that it will generate a report for the operators if there is some defect with the seat that needs human intervention, it will be highlighted.” Additionally, the robot is being developed to perform functionality inspections, such as checking if the light or screen is working properly.

ForsaTEK is envisioned as a platform to create the future of travel through entrepreneurship and innovation, enhanced through collaboration, incubator communities, and idea-generation​ (Emirates Group Brands)​​ (Media Office)​.

A tech company called PopId also introduced a new technology where people can pay for transactions with their faces. By taking a selfie that is converted to biometrics, this technology has already cut transaction times by 75% at a leading supermarket chain in the UAE​ (Future Travel Experience)​.