Robot begroeting op Seoul Airport

The Korean capital of Seoul now has 20 robots acting as walking, talking, mobile, digital display units, most of them at Kimpo International Airport.Each of the autonomous robots helps passengers via a chest screen with touchscreen interface which provides real-time information about flights, locations and amenities – for example, travellers can ask it the way to a particular airport facility, and it will tell them where it is or even take them there.The robots can speak English to foreign visitors and supply them with English-language information on their chest screens.They also carry signage boards above their “heads”.Despite the surprisingly unexceptional technology at the heart of the robot design – a 1.75MHz Pentium processor and Windows XP Professional – the units are another indication of Korea’s commitment to, and success in, developing intelligent robots.The country sees robots as having a major place in the future, and among their uses will be as a form of portable signage, taking information to the customer.