INTRODUCTION
In today's interconnected world, air travel has become an integral part of our lives, connecting us to distant locations and diverse cultures. Yet, despite the marvels of modern aviation, the experience of being a passenger on a plane can sometimes feel mundane and uninspiring.
Imagine a world where you could enjoy the perks of reaching a destination within a day, while also experiencing the journey as if traversing through the different countries and sceneries.
Introducing Imaginair, an augmented reality app for mixed-reality wearables giving airplane passengers the feeling of really traveling across the world and not just above the clouds. By offering various features, Imaginair provides airplane passengers with an unforgettable journey, turning their flight into an adventure!
PROBLEM SETTING
Nowadays everyone flies everywhere. 2024 is projected to become the year with the most commercial flights in history with a staggering 40.1 million (Statista, 2024). But in the middle of this surge in the industry we identified a disconnect. Passengers on long haul flights can feel disconnected from the journey they are actually partaking in. The long monotonic views out of the small airplane windows can create the feeling of a waiting room waiting until it's time to disembark at your destination. All while the passengers are actually traveling immense distances over all kinds of landscapes, cultures and marvels. This is where our identified opportunity lies: in addressing the detachment from traveling which passengers experience during long-haul flights.
"We want to make passengers travel through countries, not over them"
We thought to ourselves: "Who suffers the most from our identified problem setting?" and "What can we design for this person to NOT experience this problem again?".
Suzanne Hiemstra-van Mastrigt, in a lecture about Human Perspective, stated that while designing a mobility concept it is important to start with the human needs and the meaning of mobility. To identify the people's perception of what mobility in relation to air travel means for them we conducted a series of interviews. Obtained results gave an insight into what passengers needs and values are while traveling by plane. Most respondents did not feel entertained, felt uncomfortable and disconnected to the journey while flying. A clear persona could be derived from this research:
The travel yearner
Meet Kate!
Kate is a travel yearner. That means that she loves to travel and is captivated by the sense of adventure, the people she meets along the way, the new foods she gets to taste, and the array of new experiences that await her. As a travel yearner, Kate enjoys the journey and traveling almost as much as arriving at the destination She is up-to-date with the changing technologies around her and likes exploring new things. Kate prefers to travel by train because it offers the experience of looking outside the window and seeing the world change around her and the various countries and cities she travels through. However, not every place on earth is reachable by train or car, so sometimes Kate must travel by plane which she finds uncomfortable, boring, and restrictive. For her mobility is more than just moving to get to a destination, it is also about the journey.
Values: Adventure, discovery, connectedness
Needs: Autonomy, Beauty, Stimulation
"I love it when it isn't cloudy because then I can see more of the world beneath me"
From Interviews
IMAGINAIR
IMAGINAIR is the world's first augmented reality app designed specifically for plane journeys. Imaginair is downloadable on your mixed-reality (MR) wearable such as the Apple Vision Pro and similar devices that exist connecting the real world with the digital one. It ensures that the long, monotonous views from small airplane windows become a thing of the past. The app enables you to customize your perspective when peering out of the plane's window. But how exactly? Well, the user may choose to “fly” at an altitude of 300 meters for example. The augmented reality technology seamlessly transforms the view from all airplane windows, immersing you in the sensation of cruising through the skies 300 meters of the ground. Passengers actually see and engage with the world below. This will transform the airplane from the “waiting room” into an exciting, beautiful and meaningful mode of transportation again.
So why settle for a disconnected view from 10.000 meters when you can experience the wonder of the world up close with Imaginair?
FEATURES
ENLARGE WINDOWS
Elevate your aerial experience with our VR app's ability to recognize all windows (not only the one in your aisle) and offer the possibility to virtually enlarge them to any desired size. Choose how immersed you want to be. Want to focus on reading a book with the view on the “background”? You can keep the window small. But you may want to really immerse yourself in the view? You can make the windows up to ten times bigger. This also solves the problem for passengers who want to have the Imaginair experience but might have been unlucky with their aisle seat. It enables all passengers to look out of the windows.
CHANGE VIRTUAL ALTITUDE
Feel the exhilaration of flying closer to the earth's surface as our app simulates the sensation of lower altitude flight. Choose at what altitude you would like to 'fly' and the app does the rest by showing you the perspective of your choice. Want to fly at an altitude of 500 meters? Fine, Imaginair will show you picturesque landscapes and sceneries from up close. This really lets the passengers fly through the countries they are crossing on their travels, instead of over them. Thanks to technological advancements in satellite imagery, Imaginair can show you the real life views, exactly from where you are flying with your selected altitude.
EXPLORE LANDMARKS
Enrich your travel experience by exploring notable landmarks, culture, and history along your route. With our feature providing valuable information, interesting stories and cool facts about the hotspots, you’ll gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the destinations you are flying over. Really connecting the passenger to what's below, making every moment of your journey a memorable adventure. Notifications appear on your window side, which you can drag in front of you to have a better look.
ENLARGE WINDOWS
Select and drag the arrows surrounding the window to enlarge it to whatever size you want
CHANGE VIRTUAL ALTITUDE
Alter the altitude of the scenery by enabling the virtual windows to display the landscape from a lower flight altitude
EXPLORE LANDMARKS
USER JOURNEY
Imaginair and its features specifically designed for and tailored to the needs of our stakeholder-persona Kate. As someone who thrives on the journey as much as the destination, Kate seeks adventure and immersion in every aspect of her travels, starting from takeoff. IMAGINAIR revolutionizes the conventional airplane experience, ensuring that Kate's flights become more than a mundane necessity. By offering to let her adjust the size of her augmented windows, IMAGINAIR lets Kate immerse herself even more in the sensation of flying at lower altitudes, just like her beloved train journeys. Also the hotspot feature is designed to fuel her need for stimulation, curiosity and connection during her flying experience. Lastly, with the ability to vary altitude perspectives, Kate can curate her in-flight experience, exploring landmarks and the notable hotspots along the way.
FUTURE VISION
Although there is a growing awareness of the environmental impact of air travel, particularly regarding the harmful emissions produced by flying, this consciousness has yet to significantly alter behavior (Zijlstra & Uitbeijerse, 2023). Consequently, we anticipate continued growth in the commercial flight industry (Statistica, 2023). However, this heightened climate awareness may prompt a shift away from short-haul flights, with train travel poised to become a more viable alternative, especially with advancements such as hydroloop technology facilitating faster and more efficient rail travel. Yet, the challenge remains in replacing intercontinental flights, as the train industry cannot easily accommodate such long-distance journeys. Therefore, our focus lies on international flights, particularly long-haul routes. On these flights travelers become increasingly detached from the journey itself, traversing vast distances across continents without fully engaging with the diverse cultures and landscapes they pass over. This problem will become even more significant with the return of Utra-long-haul flights (Josephs, 2023).
Furthermore, we anticipate more and more people to obtain access to mixed-reality (MR) through headsets or wearables such as the Apple Vision Pro, the Oculus Quest, and other models as newer technologies develop and when its reaches Technology Readiness Level 9 (Manning, 2023). As these mixed-reality glasses develop and new technologies emerge, they will also shrink in size becoming more comfortable for longer periods of time and offering opportunities for innovative features. It could take years however, before these MR headsets are widely accepted by society to wear in public.
In the next 5 to 10 years, satellite imagery will also take huge leaps forward in its resolution and depth sensing with the introduction of machine learning and improvements in photographic technology (Morris, 2023). This will create a more realistic view of the earth and enable features such as Imaginair's Virtual Low Altitude.
TIMELINE
VIABILITY
We also envisioned a business model to make Imagninair a viable company. We created a subdivision called Imagnair advertisement.
Are you a traveling agency or a government tourism campaign seeking innovative ways to showcase the wonders of your country to a global audience? Imaginair presents a unique opportunity for collaboration, allowing you to feature your country's highlights and hotspots within our immersive virtual reality experience. By partnering with Imaginair, you can captivate travelers with stunning visuals and insightful information about your destination, sparking their curiosity and inspiring them to explore further. Imaginair offers a platform for your country to shine, attracting tourists and generating income through increased visibility and engagement. Join us in revolutionizing the way people experience air travel and promoting the beauty of your country to the world. Contact us today to discuss partnership opportunities and unlock the full potential of Imaginair for your tourism campaign.
SOURCES
Airline industry worldwide - number of flights 2024 | Statista. (2024, 15 april). Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/564769/airline-industry-number-of-flights/
Guttentag, D. (2010). Virtual reality: Applications and implications for tourism. Tourism Management, 31(5), 637–651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.07.003
Josephs, L. (2023, 15 juni). Ultra-long-haul flights are coming back. Qantas wants to break the record. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/15/ultra-long-haul-flights-return-qantas-wants-to-break-the-record.html
Manning, C. G. (2023, 27 september). Technology readiness levels - NASA. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/somd/space-communications-navigation-program/technology-readiness-levels/
Morris, B. (2023, 1 augustus). Top Trends in Satellite Imagery. Mapbox. https://www.mapbox.com/blog/top-trends-satellite-imagery
Zijlstra, T., & Uitbeijerse, G. (2023, 3 juli). Klimaatbesef en minder vliegen? Publicatie | Kennisinstituut Voor Mobiliteitsbeleid. https://www.kimnet.nl/publicaties/publicaties/2023/07/04/klimaatbesef-en-minder-vliegen
Meet the Team
From Interviews