LAS VEGAS -- Today you arrive at the airport and there is a large display showing dozens of flights and their status. But what if that screen only shows your flight, your name, your gate, and an arrow pointing to your destination?

Does that sound rude to everyone? Don't worry. Everyone else around you will see only personalized information on the same display at the same time. Without wearing augmented reality glasses or holding your smartphone up to the screen. Really.

That's the promise of Parallel Reality, a beta experience Delta Air Lines is partnering with Misapplied Sciences to offer customers this year. I experienced a demo of this technology in person here at CES 2020, and it was one of the most mind-blowing things I've seen in years.

Our demo began with us standing in front of a screen with a small statue of a landmark in front of us. Then others around me saw on the screen pictures of destinations that corresponded to that city, such as Paris and Tokyo, which were different from mine.

This cannot be emphasized enough. The person standing next to me saw something different than I did, even though we were looking at the same display. According to Delta, once the technology is in place, up to 100 travelers at a time will be able to see personalized content on their screens.

Then it was time to check in for my virtual flight to Paris. As I scanned my boarding pass, an overhead camera detected my body type and displayed a message about my flight! Your flight to Paris will board on time at gate A9, 30 minutes later at 12:06 pm." And the woman next to me also saw her own message.

Delta then showed me the message that would appear after landing:

"Welcome to Paris, Mark! Please pick up your baggage at baggage carousel #9.

I am not sure how this technology works, but Delta and Misapplied Sciences describe Parallel Reality as utilizing "multi-view pixels and proprietary technology" to explicitly convey messages as they pass in front of the screen

Parallel Reality is a "parallel reality" that uses "multi-view pixels and proprietary technology to explicitly convey messages as you pass by the screen.

A key element of parallel reality is that the system needs to know your location in order to deliver a personalized message. Delta used a camera and my body type in this case, but other markers could be used, such as facial recognition or phone calls.

According to Gil West, Delta's chief operating officer, customers can opt-in to Parallel Reality and no customer information is stored.

So when can one experience Parallel Reality? Delta Air Lines will first roll it out at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The display will be located in Concourse A near the Delta Sky Club. The idea is to reduce stress for travelers. But it is very strange to see it in action.

The CES 2020 hub will allow visitors to check out all of the big announcements at the world's biggest tech event.