Jacksonville is stepping into the future with the latest tech twist to city greetings – a holographic Mayor Deegan, ready to welcome travelers at Jacksonville International Airport. This isn't your regular run-of-the-mill welcome sign; it's a state-of-the-art 3D holographic message that speaks to visitors in English and can impressively switch between a slew of other languages courtesy of AI technology.
Passengers arriving during the bustling holiday season are going to be greeted not with banners or signs, but by the holographic visage of Mayor Donna Deegan, ready to frankly extend a warm welcome. The Mayor echoed the city's endeavor to seamlessly integrate innovative technology that "can be deployed in a myriad of ways to both improve communication, and better the lives of our citizens," in a statement obtained by the City of Jacksonville.
The tech behind this hologram is the fruit of a U.S. startup Proto's labor, delivering a video so crisp and convincing, onlookers might well believe they are standing before a flesh-and-blood Mayor. After cruising through security checks, travelers will be met by the Mayor’s holographic message conveniently housed just outside the airport security checkpoint in an area before the path spirals down to baggage claim. The realism doesn't halt with the visuals; the hologram boasts an interactive side to it as well, capable of sending and receiving live feeds.
Expressing pride in this technological leap, Jacksonville Aviation Authority CEO Mark VanLoh told the City of Jacksonville, "We are thrilled that JAX, in partnership with the city will be one of the first airports in the nation to debut this amazing technology." The innovation further underlines JAX’s standing as a welcoming hub, with the Mayor's hologram set to certainly add a surprise factor for visitors, whether they're for the first time gracing Jacksonville or returning home to celebrate with loved ones.
Beyond prerecorded messages, Proto’s technology opens up a new frontier where live subjects can virtually pop up real-time from any connected camera or smartphone to any Proto device globally. This isn't the first rodeo for such tech – Fortune 500 companies, sports franchises, celebrities, and educational and medical institutions have already been employing it. Although the device doesn't conjure true holograms, by the clever addition of shadows and reflections, the illusion is convincingly sold to the human brain.
