MPI trials holograms at Auckland Airport to spread biosecurity message

New holograms will be gracing Auckland International Airport to try educate travellers about biosecurity.

A Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) trial will give visitors arriving from overseas a 3D display of biosecurity risk items and explain why they're not wanted in New Zealand.

"This is an experiment to test if new technology can be used as a communications tool to reach the public more effectively than our current static signage at the airport," said Brett Hickman, manager of detection technology for MPI.

The display will tell a virtual narrative first focusing on fruit carried inside luggage, then displaying a hitchhiking fruit fly - and the damage it could do to an orchard and the fruit sector.

Detail of the holographic fruit fly. Photo / MPI

"The concept here is to create an eye-catching display that really grabs the attention of arriving passengers," Hickman said.

The display will be mounted atop a purpose-built unit which doubles as a bin where visitors can ditch any biosecurity hazards they might still have on them.

MPI will monitor how many people stop to look at the display and measure how much biosecurity material is placed into the bins to assess the viability of the project.

The Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) applauded the move, saying the Wellington-made hologram from Point Zero was a great example of the talent being fostered in Wellington's rapidly developing augmented and virtual reality sector.

"The Ministry for Primary Industries should be congratulated for recognising the potential of Point Zero's holograms, and helping develop it to the point where it can be used in a visually exciting way to bolster New Zealand's biosecurity," said WREDA's business growth and innovation general manager, David Jones.