Whether you’re looking for a departure gate, a certain restaurant or a shop, Josie Pepper looks right at you and immediately tells you what you need to know.
Munich Airport and Lufthansa are breaking new ground with Josie: it’s the first time that a humanoid robot with artificial intelligence is being tested at a German airport. For her first assignment, Ms. Pepper has been stationed near the escalator down to the people mover to the satellite terminal, where she communicates with passengers in English. The purpose of the test is to see how they react to her.
The special thing about this robot model is that it doesn’t speak in recorded phrases. Instead, it uses its ability to learn and adapt to flexibly reply to questions. The robotress was christened “Josie” by airport and Lufthansa staff after her arrival.