Robot Guide for Airport

Navigating through a large and unfamiliar airport can be the cause of a number of hassles for passengers. Lost connections, unavailable instructions and generally a whole pile of frustration can put paid to the jolly holiday you were expecting. The researchers at the Orebro University are hoping to make this just a little bit easier at the Schiphol International Airport at Amsterdam.

They are coming up with a friendly robot who can help lost passengers find their way around the airport. Nicknamed the Spencer project, the robot needs to be tested in real time at the airport since the navigating constantly changes. The parked luggage trolleys, movement of passengers and suitcases are all temporary obstructions that the robot must learn to navigate through successfully. This means the team behind the robot needs to really make it flexible and good at navigating sudden, unexpected obstacles.

That is not a simple task and the collaboration between the University researchers as well as important business houses in five different countries know that extensive testing will be required before it is anywhere near ready for daily operations.

However as and when the robot can successfully guide passengers from one gate to the other, it will make life much easier for them. The initial tests have been scheduled for the month of March for this science project. It will be interesting to see how the robot fares in them. A dedicated guide at a busy airport would make the lives of a large number of people very much easier while travelling.