Julia's journey: What connected transportation means to a customer

Connected transportation sounds great, but what does it mean to customers? Ask Julia Jones, connected traveler. Arranging a trip from her home in California to a science conference in Malaysia, with a connection through Tokyo, Julia used a single online app to arrange her journey from end to end across airlines, railroads and ground transport services.

Connected and personalized travel

Understanding where the conference was, her app suggested preferred accommodations at conference rates and made reservations with her approval, rather than Julia having to construct the itinerary leg-by-leg and provider-by-provider. Knowing she’d have a few days free, Julia decided to bring her mom Candace along to share in her adventure. Everything was set for a good time.

Behind the scenes, though, every facet of her itinerary was in flux. Advance weather advisories required her airline to revise its flights. Determining that an earlier flight was her best alternative, the airline offered Julia and her mom a change, which they accepted. Future flight segments were adjusted, as was her local pickup and her transport in Malaysia. Hotel reservations were adjusted.

Along the way, the hotel’s artificial intelligence (AI)-driven concierge service offered Candace some travel options to consider while Julia was at the conference. Choosing several options triggered a series of reservations and confirmations. Understanding that its guests would be weary from a long journey, Julia’s hotel included vouchers for complimentary room service on their arrival.

Julia’s package

Julia’s presentation on methods to detect and isolate space-borne antimatter particles was expected to draw a crowd at this year’s conference on astrophysics. As a crowning achievement, Julia planned to demonstrate a special piece of equipment she had developed.

But getting it to the conference would require special care. Highly delicate sensors in the equipment had to be maintained at low temperatures in a liquid nitrogen bath, at near-surface atmospheric pressure. Shipping by air could happen only as long as cargo-hold conditions were strictly monitored and maintained. Embedded sensors in the container system tracked the most critical variables, and real-time monitoring watched the data stream for any trends that might portend trouble.

Turbulence over the Pacific gave everything in the cargo hold a good shake, breaking a latch on the equipment case. The resulting blow created a leak that allowed a small but continuing amount of coolant to escape. Monitors immediately noted the change and flagged the package for inspection at its next destination.

As cargo handlers pulled the box from the plane, they were alerted to its status, discovered the broken latch, and effected a repair to stop the leak. Julia’s state-of-the-art equipment arrived in Malaysia successfully, ready to help her offer audiences a rare and unique glimpse of the cosmos.

Continue reading the position paper, How intelligent transportation systems are changing the industry.