Shopping malls can be big enough that people get lost, or lose the store they’re hunting for, which is why they have information booths. Japan now has a robot running a booth. Partly they did it because they could. Partly they are doing it to prepare for the Olympics, which is why the robot can speak three languages. It is also an impressive example of how far companies will go to replace service workers. Japan’s demographics drive them to automation because their population, and workforce are declining. Several motivations are encouraging the innovation, which is true of almost every major shift in society.
(Click on the photo for the link.)
“Toshiba’s New Humanoid Will Give Mall Visitors Information In Three Languages” – Quartz
Pretending Not To Panic 