IDEMIA ALIX™ brings AI to automating lost luggage identification

What if there was a way to use AI to minimise lost luggage? For airlines and airports, it would mean happy, loyal customers, reduced baggage processing and compensation costs, and more resources to focus on what truly matters: passenger safety and security.

Lost luggage is a major issue in passenger air travel and is costly for airlines and airports. Even as airlines invest in automated luggage tracking services and software deemed to ease passenger stress, luggage gets lost a lot.

And the problem isn’t going away anytime soon until more advanced technologies and systems are implemented. Resolutions like International Air Transport Association (IATA) 753 —requiring members to comply with defined baggage tracking requirements—can’t solve the problem alone. Neither can the implementation of RFID luggage tags for radio-frequency identification. Or passengers taking matters into their own hands and placing Bluetooth tracking devices inside their checked-in bags.

The truth is that luggage tags placed on checked-in luggage by the airlines get damaged or torn off during transit. Even as airlines invest heavily in tracking solutions, that investment is useless when a bag is no longer identifiable.

We’ve all seen the news articles and read passengers’ outcry on social media for better management of checked-in luggage.

Fortunately for the industry, technology is now available to return the once untraceable luggage to its owner.

Seamless integration

Leveraging our deep knowledge of AI, imaging, and biometric technologies, IDEMIA provides a seamless solution easily integrated within the airline or airport baggage handling ecosystem. Developed in partnership with Air France, IDEMIA’s ALIX™—Augmented Luggage Identification eXperience—brings AI technology to luggage identification. This field-proven solution is simple to implement and is purposely designed to work in existing luggage handling systems. No retooling is required.

Turnkey solution

So, how does ALIX™ work? The turnkey solution consists of high-definition cameras—referred to as ALIX™ Arch— installed on top of the baggage handling system of an airport. When a piece of luggage goes through the baggage handling system, the ALIX™ Arch cameras capture five sides of each bag. These images, in essence, become the basis of the bag’s identity. They are associated with the bag’s travel information to create its augmented digital tag. This means a bag can be easily identified even if its printed tag is damaged or torn off during its journey.

Advanced biometric identification

Leveraging IDEMIA’s advanced biometric identification technologies, the ALIX™ Core cloud-based SaaS platform enables operators to reconcile luggage with its owner. To do so, the operator takes a new set of images of the bag and uses ALIX™ Core to retrieve its digital tag. In less than five seconds, the identity of the bag is determined. From there, the operator only needs to create a new printed tag and return it to the bag handling system. Another advantage of ALIX™ is that it simplifies lost baggage claims and fraud. The high-definition images help airlines locate lost luggage quickly while ensuring that fraudulent baggage damage claims are identified.

Today, travellers demand that airlines and airports do a better job of handling, tracking, and securing checked-in luggage throughout its complex travel journey. The ALIX™ integrated offering is the industry’s only bag identification solution that integrates seamlessly with bag-handling systems and leverages AI technology.

Automated lost luggage search

Augmented tags automate the luggage search process and dramatically increase the repatriation of luggage to their owners. Unidentifiable bags incur substantial costs in employee time and compensation to travellers, in addition to the negative impact on brand image and customer satisfaction.

Airlines and airports invest heavily in improving the reliability of baggage handling systems. Complementary and innovative solutions such as ALIX™ will allow them to address the many use cases related to baggage handling issues.

To learn more about ALIX™, visit our website idemia.com