Walking through the busy terminals at an airport won’t be a stressful experience anymore. Meet Spencer, the new staff at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. This cognitive, mobile robot was initiated by Sweden’s Örebro University, funded by the European Commission and Dutch airline KLM. Spencer was developed in order to decrease the number of missed flights due to passengers getting lost, but he is more than just a guide. Taller than a human, this friendly robot is programmed with an internal map of Schiphol, and equipped with two front and two rear facing visual sensors and a laser scanner to allow for constant surveillance of the airport’s surroundings.
We know how difficult is to navigate around the busy international terminals, and that is why Spencer can survey the airport by measuring the distance to temporary objects around him. Obstacles are not a problem for him. Its creators claimed Spencer will be socially-aware. He will perceive human behaviors and respond appropriately. The trial started last year on November, but the official launch of Spencer will take place on March 2016.
Robots are becoming part of our lives. In Japan Airlines NAO will welcome you to the airport. His knowledge includes arrival and departure flight information, a map, and weather forecasts of your destination.
There is a long and growing list of robotics being applied to air transport industry. But this is not the only field where you would need its help. During the last years robotics technology has proved the improvement of our lives. Easy, fast and always correct, virtual assistants have become a great companion. They will remind you of your appointments, increase your company sales, help you getting a better customer service for your website, enhanced user-experience, improve your brand image, and much more.
The global intelligent virtual assistant market size was valued at USD 572.2 million in 2014, and it is expected to reach USD 3.07 billion by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Having your own virtual robot is not an arduous task anymore. With the development of online platforms like FIONA, you can create interactive and smart virtual robots. You can contribute to the development of a cognitive artificial intelligence by creating new features which will result in the production of a character able to understand humans. The future of business is linked to the success of platforms like FIONA. The Rise of the Virtual Assistants and AI is here. Be part of it.
