Örebro Universitet
The robot in the "Spencer" project is now all set to face the real world at the major international airport Schiphol in Amsterdam. Its mission: to help passengers find their way around the airport.
Contributions from
researchers at Örebro University in Sweden have enabled the robot to map its
surroundings. The project is funded by the European Commission and is a
collaboration between researchers and businesses in five different countries.
"Navigating an
airport is challenging, there is a lot of glass and a constantly changing
environment in terms of temporary obstructions, such as parked luggage trolleys
and people everywhere," says Achim Lilienthal, professor of computer
science and project leader of Örebro University's contribution to the research project.
Over the course of one week, starting on 30 November 2015, the robot will be tested in the hustle and bustle of the major international airport Schiphol. After the test run, adjustments will be made in preparation for the real test in March when representatives of the European Commission, along with other prominent guests, will be attending the official premiere run.
The stately looking
robot with its friendly but unstirring "face" will be guiding
passengers, unaccustomed to navigating international airports, from one gate to
another. Researchers from Örebro have equipped the robot with a prerequisite
for navigation -- maps. The robot then surveys its surroundings by measuring
the distance to various obstructions using laser beams.
One of the more basic
maps is one that involves fixed obstructions, such as walls.
"People in motion
are not that tricky either. Objects that are temporarily permanent so to speak,
are the most difficult to work around. We do not know, for instance, how long
that luggage trolley will be parked in a particular spot, which makes it harder
for the robot to determine its own location. We are working on a general map
representation that includes and allows the robot to handle temporarily
permanent objects," says Achim Lilienthal.
All the theoretical
components of the robot's ability will be fused into one system in the upcoming
integration week. In addition to the Örebro University researchers'
contribution, another aspect of the project is the robot's ability to
understand human behaviour and act accordingly. Things like navigating around a
group of people rather than squeezing through, or looking around to see if the
group it is guiding is keeping up.
"It is
surprisingly difficult to fit all the pieces together. A small error somewhere
along the line may take an unpredictably long time to discover and work
out," Achim Lilienthal explains.
The robot project is
run by researchers, but the initiative came from the Dutch airline KLM as a
result of unwanted costs incurred when novice passengers missed their flights
simply because they got lost.
"The airport has
recently been remodelled and is now so much easier to find your way
around," Achim Lilienthal says and smiles.
Be that as it may, the
robot project is not in vain. Achim Lilienthal can see a range of other
hands-on applications at airports, for example looking after passengers who
have missed their flights and have a lot of time to kill before their next
flight, in which case a robot can be updated with correct information more
easily than a human. In addition, it is able to communicate in several
languages.
To some degree, the
robot project gives KLM and Schiphol Airport a futuristic and cool edge. But
airports, or museums for that matter, are not the only possible "places of
work" for the robot:
"This technology
can be used in all robots intended to interact with humans. Autonomous trucks
for example, would be more widely accepted if they functioned better in their
interaction with humans," says Achim Lilienthal.
He is very optimistic
about the future for these robots generally:
