KLM says robotics will play as “increasingly important role in aviation”, following a trial at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.
The airline started a project to introduce robots to help with ground operations three years ago, with a trial in place at its home airport from December last year.
After the initial testing period, KLM reckons the robot (known as Spencer, for Social situation-aware PErceptioN and action for CognitivE Robots) has now completed tasks such as guiding connecting passengers around the airport.
Part of the pilot was to see if technology to scan a passenger’s boarding pass (and know where to lead them) worked.
Spencer then moves around the airport, adjusting its speed to that of the passenger, avoiding obstacles and letting them know how long it is until they reach the gate.
The project is being steered by the University of Freiburg, with technical expertise from SME Bluebotics.
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