KOCHI: Lost your way to the boarding gate at Kochi airport? You could soon find yourself asking a robot. Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has deployed a passenger assistance robot at ‘Kalangan’, its art museum in the domestic security hold area.
The robot can greet passengers, provide flight information and directions, and guide them to boarding gates and other facilities inside the airport. But its job is not limited to helping passengers find their way.
At Kalangan, the robot has also been programmed to introduce passengers to Keralam’s cultural heritage. It can provide information on art forms such as kathakali and ottanthullal and details about the sculptures and artworks displayed at the museum.
It can also guide visitors to particular exhibits. The deployment at Kalangan is the first phase of CIAL’s plan to bring robotic assistance into the airport. The next set of robots is planned for the check-in halls, where they are expected to assist passengers with information and directions.
CIAL is also looking at a more practical use for robots inside the terminal. The airport operator is exploring the possibility of deploying delivery robots that can carry food and other products to passengers. The passenger assistance robot was developed for CIAL by Pune-based Kinetics Robotics. CIAL managing director S Suhas inaugurated the facility.