Shenzhen Airlines has introduced 16 robots to serve in passenger lounges.
The robots, named “Zunpeng Xiaobao” are able to directly interact with passengers.
Shenzhen Airlines hopes to improve the passenger experience as the robots can provide consultations, guidance and entertainment.
Details are a bit limited but the robots can reportedly talk, dance, tell stories and play music.
People’s Daily Online reports that a woman, Ms Liu, flying from Shenzhen to Xi’an asked one of the robots, “Do you have a place to store luggage?”
“We have fingerprint identification luggage storage cabinets, come with me,” the device responded.
Ms. Liu said: ‘It’s amazing how the robot actually talks and dances and tells stories.’
Shenzhen Airport has also introduced robots.
In September, China’s first intelligent security robot started work at Shenzhen Airport.
Called AnBot, the robot carries out security checks in the departure hall of Terminal 3.
AnBot has the ability to disarm people with its electric prod, which is actually activated remotely by a human.
The number of robots trialed at airports (and ports) is increasing and includes:
- AnBot at Shenzhen Airport
- ASIMO at Tokyo Narita
- Athena at Los Angeles
- EMIEW3 at Tokyo Haneda
- Leo at Geneva
- Norma, Amelia, and Piper at San Jose
- ‘Sheldon’ at Indianapolis
- Spencer at Amsterdam Schiphol
- Unnamed at Seoul Incheon
- Zunpeng Xiaobao for Shenzhen Airlines
Our favourites remain AnBot at Shenzhen Airport with the cattle prod and the Sheldon Cooper lookalike at Indianapolis.
About Shenzhen Airlines (ZH)
Shenzhen Airlines is headquartered in Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport in Bao’an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Shenzhen Airlines is the fourth largest domestic carrier in the Chinese market with around 7% of seat capacity and flights.
Routes: The carrier operates more than 200 routes, including more than 130 domestic airport-pairs involving 58 Chinese airports, plus nine international routes (Bali, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Min, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Taipei)
Fleet: At the end of 2015, Shenzhen Airlines owned a fleet of more than 170 passenger aircraft which consists of Boeing 737s, Airbus 320s and 319s.
Passenger numbers: In 2010, the airline carried 16.5 million passengers, up 9% on the previous year.
Alliance: Star Alliance
N.B. Image credit: Chinanews.com
