The Sneakairs project was unveiled at the Barcelona Street Project.
While some are working on tools to temporarily disconnect travellers - for their peace of mind and to limit roaming charges - others are working hard to increase the number of sources of connection. Such is the case with easyJet, which has just presented a prototype of a connected shoe at the Barcelona Street Project. Code name: Sneakairs. Special features: a sensor that communicates via Bluetooth with a GPS application for smartphones. Practical application: the shoe indicates the right direction to take by sending vibrations through the shoe...
"With the Sneakair prototype, easyJet is once again demonstrating its ability to take advantage of technology to offer its customers an ever easier travel experience," said Peter Duffy, the airline's marketing director. "The success of our Mobile Host application and technology leads us to believe that our passengers welcome the emergence of tools available to them before and during their journey. So why shouldn't they take advantage of it once they've arrived at their destination? Our aim now is to develop this technology so that it can be marketed on board our aircraft, offering a tool that should delight passengers who want to discover an unfamiliar city without having their eyes riveted to their smartphone map, but by discovering the world around them".
In a press release published on 13 May, easyJet stresses that this foray into the world of connected objects is not a trial run. Last November, to mark its 20th anniversary, the airline unveiled new connected uniforms designed to "simplify communication between flight crews and technicians, thereby enhancing passenger safety".
