Overview
Jumping in the shower has always been a reliable jet lag fix for long-haul travellers, but there's only so long cold water can prevent you from awkwardly slumping onto random people's shoulders before waking up with a start and thinking you’re late for something that happened yesterday.
That might be a thing of the past if Delta's 'Photon Shower' comes into fruition. This Star Trek-like chamber showers light instead of H2O, so while it won't get that weird cabin odour out of your hair, it will give you a lasting boost of energy.
The shower was exhibited at TED Long Beach Conference on Wednesday by Professor Russell Foster of Oxford University. Foster talked guests through his research on how the body responds to light, explaining that our responses can help reset the body clock during periods of exhaustion. This makes the photon shower a saving grace for travellers but also suggests it could provide refreshment to insomniacs, nurses on night shifts and people who have run out of coffee and can't be bothered going to the store.
Using the photon shower starts off like using a self check-in counter and finishes with a sensation we imagine to be similar to stepping into warm sunlight after coming out of a movie theatre. Simply input your travel information, get inside and experience a sequence of (hopefully warm and tingly) light patterns designed to meet your individual needs. Just think of all the recent release in-flight movies you'll be able to watch without worrying about catching z's.
Via Ad Age.