Don't be surprised when you see a robot clearing tables, serving drinks and giving you directions in Chiba's Narita Airport in Japan. These are Panasonic's HOSPI robots that are specially designed to clean up after travelers in airports and do some bits of dirty work.
Robots have been slowly making its way in the hospitality industry around the world. In the Hilton McLean Virginia in Washington, Connie, an IBM concierge robot, has already been serving guests, and in Aloft Cupertino Hotel in Silicon Valley, there's a robot that can call you an elevator.
These HOSPI robots are actually on ongoing trials. Panasonic really intended these robots to be used in hospitals, to help doctors deliver medical files and samples. They are actually already used in over 4 hospitals in Japan.
The Narita airport is not actually the first airport in Japan to use artificial intelligence in doing everyday tasks. Last 2015, robotics maker Cyberdyne Inc. have started supplying intelligent powered suits to workers at Haneda Airport to help assist in carrying heavy loads and baggage. The device is called Hybrid Assistive Limb or HAL, and is already used in Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. in carrying massive amounts of cash.
In their press release, Cyberdine Inc. said: "While demand for airline services continues to grow especially in the greater Tokyo area, Japan is also faced with the issue of an aging society with a lower birthrate and declining labor population. The new project will also be an opportunity to demonstrate the country's latest technology at the "gateway to Japan".
Hotels in Japan have also started using robots in providing customer service. The Henna Hotel's front desk staff consists of all-robots, including a velociraptor-designed bellboy that speaks English.
Japan have been constantly looked up to in terms of technological advancement, and it isn't surprising if in the coming years, robots will completely take over an entire industrial workforce.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
