Smart trolleys entertain frustrated air passengers
A spike in flight delays has tested the patience of air passengers this year. But one Wuxi-based start-up has found a new way to help frustrated fliers keep calm during the long delays.
Smart trolleys made by Chigoo Co can now be found in some airports in China, providing passengers with an array of entertainment options in English, Chinese and other languages as they wait to board.
Users can watch movie trailers, read the news, play video games and more on the tablet-like touchscreen perched on top of Chigoo’s i3Q cTrolley.
By scanning your boarding pass using the i3Q’s tablet, you can receive live updates on the status of your flight, including an alert informing you when it’s finally time to head to the gate for boarding.
You can also charge your phone using the trolley’s in-built charger, and find directions to your gate or the nearest restaurant or restroom using the airport map navigation.
If you haven’t had time to bone up on your destination, you can also find an array of travel and tourism information about the city you’re flying to.
Passengers can already be found happily tapping away at Chigoo’s trolleys in airports in Chinese cities including Guangzhou, Kunming, Xi’an, Qingdao, Wuxi and Chengdu.
But the company has much greater ambitions, and is already in talks with airports in Seattle, San Francisco and Dallas in the US to introduce its smart trolleys in the near future.
Ultimately, Chigoo plans to use the trolleys to create a giant smart platform covering airports across the world.
All its i3Q trolleys operate its iFLYMATE system, which Chigoo hopes to develop into a global e-commerce platform.
Chigoo will be debuting its latest products and features at the World Internet of Things Expo, which is being held in its home city of Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Sept 10-13.