Lost or confused travelers passing through Tokyo's Haneda International Airport can now call on a three-foot-tall humanoid robot named EMIEW for assistance.
The robots, developed by Hitachi, are rolling out at the airport this month.
Designed to help passengers find their gates and other key destinations throughout the airport, the robots can reach a top speed of 3.7 mph (slightly faster than preferred walking speed) and rely on built-in sensors and external monitoring technology to answer questions and point travelers in the right direction.
EMIEW speaks English and Japanese and a cloud-based system also allows multiple EMIEWs to work together to assist a traveler.
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Although the robots are able to sense their surroundings, they are also constructed to be able to get back on their feet in case they are knocked over. Currently, EMIEW is still on a trial run, but the androids should become a more common sight at the airport by the end of the year.
EMIEW's introduction at Haneda Airport comes on the heels of the rollout of humanoid robot "Pepper" on Costa Cruises' Costa Diadema cruise ship. Pepper features similar capabilities and is able to not only inform, but entertain guests.
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