CONTRIBUTION
User Study
3D Modeling
Physical Prototyping
Rendering & Animation
UI Design
TIME
Aug 2022 - May 2023
10 month
This design provides electric transportation and customized navigation for airports, using a shared system with two-way management to adapt flexibly to different airport environments. This allows airports to efficiently manage transportation needs while offering passengers a seamless and personalized journey through the terminal.
ZONEAIR provides transportation for passengers and assisting with multiple pieces of diverse luggage using electrical mobility.
After scanning the boarding pass, ZONEAIR will automatically sync with the passenger's flight information and offer navigation.
Prior to boarding, ZONEAIR will alert and guide passengers to the boarding gate, and also promptly notify passengers of any flight changes.
As international travel demand surges post-pandemic, airport capacity and planning haven't kept up, leaving travelers navigating large, complex terminals with luggage and dealing with unexpected flight changes. This results in mental exhaustion before their journey even begins. The rise of solo travel further highlights the need for urgent improvements in airport services to address these pain points.
Rather than heavy check-in luggage, the most throny thing is to keep the carry-on luggage until boarding. Each passenger will have to keep one carry-on piece up to 7kg along with other handbags for a 2.4 km walk on average.
Have you ever lost your way in the busy terminals and gates? As the functions and layouts of airport terminals grow perplexing, being lost in airports has become the nightmare for every passenger.
Over 37.3% of passengers encountered flight delay or cancel, and the frequent gate change at the last minute adds more uncertainty to the journey, let alone the haunting fear of missing flights.
Existing airport transportation systems are rigid, designed for group travel with fixed routes and schedules. This lack of flexibility for individual itineraries puts a strain on the workforce demands at airports.
Case study at Incheon International Airport: Incheon was one of the earliest and most comprehensive airports to introduce intelligent robots as airport support tools. However, based on passenger experiences, passengers still find them less approachable, non-intuitive, and services fragmented.
It's 2023, and people can instantly connect with someone on the other side of the world with no time difference. However, flight crews can only rely on primitive, unclear, and inefficient broadcasts and still struggle to locate a passenger within the airport.
Motivation
We started our design from deciding users' riding position, and we got inspired by observing passengers' habits in airports: people tend to sit on their suitcases can try to glide around. So we tried to design a vehicle that enables passengers to follow their intuition and just like sitting on their suitcases.
The overall dimension prototyping
Testing the height of storage rack
Testing the form of the joystick through daily objects
After confirming the design in the form, we modeled it in Rhino7 to work on the component layout and mechanism placement.
Upon 3D printing the 1:2 model, we conducted a more thorough examination of the sizes and positions of infographics related to physical interfaces.
We utilized spray painting techniques to create simulations of different materials and surface finishes (such as glossy paint, matte metal, and textured plastic), and integrated actual materials like fabric to achieve the most realistic prototype effect.
We incorporated lighting effects and crafted a 1:20 scale scene model to help the audience better understand the environmental context. The model was exhibited at YODEX Young Designers' Exhibition 2023
Feature
We started our design by placing the three features and mapped them in a reasonable way, so it's no frill. Every part comes in a balanced combination of functions and aesthetics.
Just like all famous chair designs, we chose 'Z' as our design language as well as the the symbol of revealing a new generation of airport design.
We made the impression of this product closer to people by decreasing the bulky feeling of traditional vehicles through the transparent baffles, which provide protection along with the aesthetic of modern design.
Stand-by Mode
When ZONEAIR is ready to be rented, the cyan light will flow as a welcoming invitation.
Binding Mode
Once passengers scan their boarding pass, ZONEAIR will display a quick breathing cyan light until completing synchronizing users' flight information.
Stopping
If ZONEAIR slows down and stops, there is a stable red brake light to notify other passengers behind.
Turning
If ZONEAIR is going to turn right/left, the light on the corresponding side will blink a yellow light to alert passengers nearby.
1. Scan the Boarding Pass
2. Place the Luggage
3. Follow Navigation
4. Easy Return
In our research on international airports with high traffic volumes, the aerial view of the terminals often resembles a satellite-like distribution, and passengers' movements toward the boarding gates follow a radial pattern. This means that passengers will inevitably pass through certain hub points, and those locations would be the optimal placement points for ZONEAIR stations, ensuring easy and intuitive access for travelers.
In limited spaces with higher traffic volumes, ZONEAIR offers vertical warehousing for rental and parking garages for return. The rental stations are installed at the huns of terminals, while there are parking areas for passengers to park their vehicles in the vicinity of the boarding gates, .
In spacious airports, ZONEAIR provides horizontal charging stations for rental and return at convenient locations outside of security checkpoints and boarding gates.
The stations will be positioned outside security checkpoints and adjacent to boarding gates. Compared to conventional shuttle services with fixed routes and schedules, this greatly enhances passengers' flexibility in access and mobility. Furthermore, this design allows ZONEAIR to integrate with existing power systems, whether through contact charging or wireless charging, adapting to the airport's infrastructure.
