Meet Spencer. He’s a robot and he’s going to help you find your KLM gate in Amsterdam.
If you’re lost and need help, Spencer’s your guy! He will scan your boarding pass and guide you to the correct departure gate. If you’re a slow walker, don’t worry. Spencer will slow his pace to yours. He will help you avoid obstacles (like crowds) and let you know how much further you have to go should you want to know. When you get to your gate, Spencer will report this to his masters.
The name Spencer is derived from “Social situation-aware PErceptioN and action for CognitivE Robots”. The project has been in development for 3 years.
Spencer is still in a trial phase, but the project looks to have promise. I think it would especially be helpful with elderly travelers who tend to be easily disoriented by new environments. I like the idea and hope it works!
More on this story from KLM airlines at this link.
