By Juan Pedro Tomás
US glass-manufacturing company View announced its smart windows have been installed at Memphis International Airport as part of the Concourse B modernization program to improve the passenger experience and energy-efficiency.
Memphis International Airport is implementing a multi-phase capital improvement plan that includes the consolidation of airline and retail operations into Concourse B as well as higher ceilings, larger gate areas, and moving walkways. As part of the modernization plan, View Smart Windows, which use artificial intelligence to optimize the amount of natural light entering the terminal while controlling heat and glare, will be installed throughout the concourse.
“The modernization of the B Concourse will reinvent the Memphis travel experience and welcome millions of travelers to the Memphis community,” said president and CEO of Memphis International Airport, Scott Brockman. “View Smart Windows are a key component of this reinvention, ensuring that natural light levels remain ideal for passenger comfort.”
In a study on natural light and the airport experience, passengers who boarded at concourses with View Smart Windows reported a 68 per cent higher satisfaction rate and rated the airport as 33 per cent more modern, efficient, bright, and comfortable. Seats in gates with View windows were also 15 degrees cooler than those with traditional windows, contributing to higher revenue for retailers and to significant energy cost savings due to lower cooling requirements, the company said.
Earlier this year, View announced that its smart windows will be installed in the new 350,000-square-foot expansion of Terminal 5 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
View Smart Windows have been installed at several airports throughout the country, including Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport (DFW), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Phoenix Sky-Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Every View installation also includes a smart building platform that consists of power, network, and communication infrastructure, according to the company.
Vice president of network platforms and general manager of network business incubation at Intel, Caroline Chan said: “Nokia and Intel have a long-standing partnership to provide innovative solutions from the core to the edge of the intelligent network, which Nokia is expanding to accelerate Industry 4.0 adoption. The combination of Intel’s innovations and CPUs alongside Nokia’s MX Industrial Edge Platform and 5G technology will offer enterprise customers the ability to connect, deploy and manage their environments.”
