Robot To Take Care of Guests in Costa and Aida Cruises

For guests who will be cruising with Costa and Aida, they best get ready for some Star Wars feels as robots will be accommodating these passengers on said cruises starting spring of 2016.

Costa Crociere, division of Carnival Corporation & plc handling Costa and Aida, signed a $1.1 million worth contract to exclusively utilise 'Pepper', guest relations robots designed by SoftBank Group's subsidiary Aldebaran from Japan.

Pepper is a high-level robot capable of reading basic human emotions and has the capability to react appropriately to how humans interact with it. The robotic host is capable of doing such feat because of its advanced interface capable of recognising and analyzing voice tones and facial expressions. It is also equipped with a 3D camera in order to visualise its immediate vicinity as well as people and their respective emotions. The humanoid robot, measuring 1.2 metres and weighing 28 kilograms, 17 joints and 3 directional wheels which enables it to move around. It features a 10-inch touch screen on its chest, offering the guests a more engaging interaction.

It will be responsible for guiding passengers and it can also suggest events, restaurants and trips that it believes the guests will like. It is capable of communicating in 3 languages - German, Italian and English. It can also study its surroundings and act accordingly.

'He is ideally suited to help and delight guests on board of cruise ships,' Costa said. 'Pepper will improve guest experience and provide help and entertainment onboard.'

'With an emotional robot on board our cruise ships we are once again continuing our tradition of innovation. For us, this is an important step towards a digital future for our brands. I am confident that our guests will love Pepper,' CEO of the Costa Group Michael Thamm said.

Pepper has already been tested in AIDAstella and is more than ready to interact with cruise passengers as well as the crew. The revolutionary host was released last June 2014 in Japan.