Delta’s ‘Photon Shower’ combats jet lag with light

Delta airlines has devised what it calls a Photon Shower that can minimize jet lag and help travelers recover from a long flight.

Several years back we spotted the Paris-Orly and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports offering free light therapy sessions to weary winter travelers, and recently we came across something similar. Demonstrated this time at the recent TED2013 conference in California, Delta airlines has devised what it calls a Photon Shower that can minimize jet lag and help travelers recover from a long flight. Reportedly built by agency Wieden+Kennedy New York with input from sleep expert Dr. Russell Foster, the Photon Shower uses light therapy to increase alertness and reduce jet lag. Users of the demo device could input their travel data on a touch screen, according to a Fast Company report. From there, narration and ambient sound would guide them through the custom-tailored experience. Essentially, a “shower” of blue light streams over the user, with an effect designed to mimic that of bright sunshine in resetting the body’s internal clock. There are apparently no concrete plans yet for actually deploying the Photon Shower in airports, but Delta is mulling the possibilities. Hospitality and travel entrepreneurs: a “brand butler” opportunity to get in on? Spotted by: Murray Orange