Five things you need to know now about…Robotics

20 December, 2017

Each week, the Blue Swan Daily scours the internet to find all the latest news related to key topics of interest in the travel industry. This week, we take a look at robotics and the impact this is having on airports around the world. Are you ready for the influx of robots at airports? Will you use take advantage of this new technology?


Tokyo Haneda Airport to trial security, translation, logistics, guidance and service robots

Japan Airport Terminal (JAT) announced plans to undertake trial operation of the following robots at Tokyo Haneda Airport for a one month period, commencing 09-Jan-2018:

  • Reborg X: Airport security robot developed by Integrated Security Corporation;
  • Otto: Logistics robot developed by Altec Corporation;
  • Relay: Guidance and items transportation robot developed by NEC Networks Corporation;
  • Cinnamon: Translation robot developed by Donut Robotics Corporation;
  • Hearable Device: Prototype acoustic authentication robot developed by Dentsu Incorporated;
  • Kizuna: Customer service robot designed to support four languages: Japanese, English, Korean and Mandarin. Developed by Tijuana Dot Com Corporation;
  • Robocott: Translation and airport information delivery robot developed by Take Robo Corporation.

JAT said the robots are aimed at supporting international tourist arrivals at Haneda, which are expected to increase due to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and are designed to enable the airport to maintain high service standards despite labour shortages caused by Japan's ageing population.


Aeris Holdings Costa Rica CEO: robotics and AI changing the way airports will be designed in future

Aeris Holdings Costa Rica CEO Rafael Mencia stated "Robotics and artificial intelligence are changing the way airports will be designed in the future, making travel simpler at every step and improving the passenger experience". Mr Mencia said SITA's autonomous, self propelling baggage robot LEO "represents a first step to enhancing the development in the automation of the baggage process from the moment passengers check in their bags until they pick it up at their destination". LEO is equipped to greet passengers, facilitate the check in process, print baggage tags and transport baggage.


Biometrics, AI, mixed reality, and robotics underpin SITA's solutions for the airport of the future

SITA stated biometrics, artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and robotics underpin SITA's solutions for the airport of the future. SITA noted that such technology is required with the latest 20 year IATA passenger forecast predicting more than half the world's growth will be in Asia Pacific with 2.1 billion additional passengers in 2036, more than double the current traffic in the region. SITA president Asia Pacific Sumesh Patel said: "We know that passengers prefer to use technology when they travel. For example, it has been proven that automated identity checks at passport control and boarding increase passenger satisfaction. In particular, biometrics offers the opportunity for a secure and seamless experience. Airlines and airports can be confident that the majority of passengers will welcome its introduction. In fact, 57% said they would definitely use biometrics for their next trip".


KAC launches mobile air purifying robots at Seoul Gimpo International Airport

Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) announced implementation of mobile air cleaning robots to measure the concentration of fine dust and purify the air at Seoul Gimpo International Airport. The autonomous movement robots were developed by Coway and Kukui Electronics and implemented at Jeju International Airport in Oct-2017.


Sydney Airport corporate affairs GM: airport operators need to be forward thinking on technology

Sydney Airport GM corporate affairs Sally Fielke, stated airport operators need to act quickly and adopt a forward thinking mindset when it comes to integrating advanced technology, including artificial intelligence, robotics and biometrics, into airport operations. Ms Fielke reported that Sydney Airport adopted a fail-fast approach to technology development and research.