location Dortmund, Date 2020.09.16

German provider Materna IPS has developed a solution that allows passengers to operate self bag drop units (SBDs) with their smartphone. The new technology, Touchless.Connect, is an effective reaction to the current challenges within the industry caused by the global pandemic which has forced airports and airlines to find viable alternatives.

Touchless.Connect is easy to implement on the existing self-service devices and doesn’t change the familiar airport experience. By scanning a QR code on the kiosk screen with their own smartphone, passengers are redirected to a Materna IPS hosted website which replicates the SBD unit’s display on their smartphone. While the passenger process remains the same, travelers don’t actually need to physically interact with the kiosk. Therefore the risk of infection from coming in contact with potentially contaminated surfaces is minimized, resulting in a safe travel experience for the passenger.

The software-based approach allows remote installation and easy integration into existing airport environments; additional hardware solutions are not required.

Depending on the infrastructure, retrofit SBDs usually rely on passenger interaction for manual bag tag scanning. Touchless.Connect allows passengers to simply use their smartphone as a bag tag scanner thus reducing the touchpoints at the airport.

Since Touchless.Connect is based on a web browser, there is no need to download an app or activate Bluetooth. Materna IPS have focused on making the solution beneficial for both airports and passengers by developing this cost efficient and user-friendly feature. By supporting multiple airline applications, the solution proves to be extremely flexible in practice, ensuring the airport process remains the same.

Touchless.Connect can help airlines and airports to regain their passengers’ trust by guaranteeing a safe passenger journey from check-in to departure. It allows them to maintain high hygiene standards even with rising passenger traffic. The aviation industry needs technologies such as this to pave the way for a new normal and to make travel safe and reliable.

Further information:

Materna IPS GmbH
Marketing
Vosskuhle 37, 44141 Dortmund, Germany

About Materna IPS

Materna IPS GmbH (Intelligent Passenger Solutions) is an international service provider for automated passenger handling for airlines and airports. The company’s range of products and services comprises hardware and software implementations as well as service and maintenance. Their international branches in the USA, Canada, India and the United Kingdom enable Materna IPS to support their customers individually and to react quickly and professionally to market requirements. Materna IPS GmbH is a 100% subsidiary of Materna Information & Communications SE based in Germany.