Robot helpers at Heathrow Airport



1. What is new? For whom is it new? How new is it?

British Airways has announced it will put two self-driving robots to work answering customer queries from February.
The plan is to free up more time for human staff to deal with complicated customer issues, while the robots – both named Bill after Lieutenant EH ‘Bill’ Lawford, who captained the first international passenger air service – assist with directions, flight times and gate details.

The machines have been programmed to answer thousands of questions in multiple languages. They use geo-location technology and sensors to move around the terminal, and can escort customers to places such as Special Assistance and Family Check-in zones.

“These smart robots are the latest innovation allowing us to free up our people to deal with immediate issues and offer that one-on-one service we know our customers appreciate. In the future, I envisage a fleet of robots working side-by-side with our people offering a truly seamless travel experience.”


2. What type of innovation?

The robots are a technological innovation.

3. What can you find about the background of the innovation? Who was the innovator? Story of the invention? How has it been generated?

Created by UK company Botsandus which creates autonomous service robots, with software and analytics tailored to a businesses needs.
Robot helpers have already been trialled at airports in Istanbul, Taipei, Dallas, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and more.
They have also been parking cars at Lyon-Saint Exupéry and Gatwick.

At Tokyo Narita, roving robots use biometric technology to scan a passenger’s face, using that data to let them know what gate they need to be at, at what time, and how to get there. Business Traveller also tried a self-driving wheelchair that uses biometrics to assess where the passenger needs to go, take them there and then drive itself back.


Reference : https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2019/12/30/british-airways-to-trial-robot-helpers-at-heathrow/


Lea Müllauer & Stefanie Gumpinger


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