BA considers ‘digital pills’ to improve inflight experience
British Airways is exploring the possibility of feeding passengers ‘digital pills’ that could wirelessly beam diagnostic health information to the crew.
The ‘ingestible sensors’ could work alongside in-cabin sleep monitors and data from wearable technology and smartphones, says BA, to inform the crew when a passenger is hot, cold, hungry, asleep, awake, nervous or uncomfortable.
The airline’s vision is revealed in a patent application for a ‘system and method for controlling the travel environment for a passenger’ published by the Intellectual Property Office seen by the Evening Standard.
US firm Proteus Digital Health already offers a kit that consists of a pill that reacts on contact with stomach acid, a wearable patch, and smartphone app, said the paper.
The airline hopes its systems will ‘provide information on the physiological state of the passenger and/or environment conditions in the vicinity of the passenger’.
Technology inside cabins could include cameras tracking body movement and sensors monitoring climate, lighting, humidity, sleep, eye movement, heart rate and body temperature, it says.
It could automatically adjust the climate when the passenger is asleep and recline their seat, or suggest an exercise routine to prevent fatigue.
A BA spokeswoman told the Standard: "We are always looking to deliver new innovations for our customers, whether it be in design or digital transformation. As such, we develop many ideas and submit many patents."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive