Being technologically advanced is a must in the high seas too. Costa Cruises, a European travel company is planning to debut a fleet of robots called Pepper, to greet cruisers, assist passengers, and help them navigate ships' restaurant and entertainment options.
First launched in June 2014 in Japan by SoftBank and Aldebaran, Pepper is the world's first robot capable of recognizing major human emotions and has the ability to respond in real time. Pepper can also proactively navigate its surrounding environment.
In a report by Tornos News, Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group says, '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.'
The robot will be able to give out recommendations for dining, events, and shore excursions in three languages - German, Italian, and Spanish
Pepper just stands under four feet fall but don't let her small size fool you. Pepper has a software for emotional recognition, analyzes expressions and voice tones using the latest technology in human voice. She is also equipped with a 3D camera to detect people and their movies and a 10-inch touch screen to display information.
A press release from the Aldebaran reports that 'Pepper has already completed an internship on board of AIDAstella with flying colors, demonstrating his seaworthiness while engaging with customers and crew.'
The robots will make their debut by spring next year onboard the Costa branded AIDAprima and Costa Diadema ships. The full fleet rollout expected by the end of the summer.
With a headquarters in Italy, The Costa Group is a cruise company with 25 ships of the brands Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises and Costa Asia. The company has a global workforce of 27,000 employees working onboard and in its 20 offices in 14 countries.
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