WHILL, a developer and provider of transportation services and mobility products, has recently partnered with Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines Group. This partnership intends to be life-changing, providing improved comfort and quality for passengers with reduced mobility in the United States’s airports.
WHILL: A Solution for Passengers With Reduced Mobility
According to the announcement, the installation of WHILL autonomous mobility devices will be witnessed at American airports in American Airlines terminals at Miami International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Miami International Airport is furthermore part of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program– an efficient way for passengers to share their hidden disabilities voluntarily.
These mobility devices aim to provide a form of autonomy for passengers with reduced mobility, giving them a solution to explore establishments independently. WHILL had developed its power chair models’ autonomous system by producing their work according to large indoor facilities like airports. Electric mobility devices’ unique functions include routing systems for passenger needs, facilitating travel with the interface, and collision avoidance services. The ease of choosing the location where the passenger wants to be transported with a simple selection on the screen, the passenger’s route is made in a way that avoids obstacles by using sensors, automatic breaks, and, finally, the automatic return to the original location of the vehicle when the task/route of autonomous mobility device is completed.
With the following graphic shared by the company, it is crucial to observe the great demand for mobility service compared to a lower number of Airport staff, demonstrating a need for more human resources at airports as a major issue for passengers with reduced mobility.
WHILL partnerships with Airports and Facilities worldwide
In 2019, Whill’s Autonomous Wheelchair Service was set into trial at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, with the imposition of routes that took passengers with reduced mobility from the check-in counter to the security checkpoint and finally to the departure gate of passengers’ flights. As the trial had excellent results, the service was installed permanently at the airport in 2022.
Another great example of an airport using WHILL services is Tokyo International Airport- satisfied with the service, which aims to bring route expansion projects. In addition to airports, hospitals are another establishment that uses autonomous mobility vehicle services- Keio University Hospital, located in Japan, provides mobility vehicles for passengers and patients suffering from anxiety or difficulty walking in large spaces.
The new partnership for the installation of WHILL mobility solutions at Miami International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport marks an innovative way to support Reduced mobility passengers.
Vice President of Business Development WHILL Mobility Services Shane Bogni stated:
“We are delighted to bring cutting-edge technology and innovation to two of American’s busiest hubs, our autonomous mobility services aim to offer customers increased independence, reduced wait times, as well as an enriched customer experience.”
Envoy Vice President of Miami International Airport, Migdoel Rosa, correspondingly expressed his enthusiasm by communicating:
“The Envoy team at Miami International Airport supports thousands of customer service requests every day, and we are excited to partner with WHILL by pioneering the introduction of autonomous mobility service in the U.S.”
WHILL Autonomous Mobility Services are transforming some of the biggest airports worldwide.
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