British Airways is experimenting with a new tool for guiding passengers through its massive London Heathrow hub: guide robots. Starting in 2020, the flag carrier of the United Kingdom will deploy an array of autonomous robots in Terminal 5 of its London Heathrow base to help guide passengers through the airport and answer basic questions.
The problem is harder to solve than it may initially sound. Getting around Heathrow requires deep knowledge of the dozens of storefronts, duty-free shops and lounges in the terminals as well as the ability to navigate through multiple floors and throngs of passengers who may not always be paying attention to their surroundings. To help guide passengers, the new robots will not only have to know where they are at all times but also be able to navigate through the airport without getting lost or running into travelers. In 2018 alone, over 32 million passengers passed through Heathrow T5 on the way to over 200,000 flights.
For British Airways, however, the robots may be just the right solution at the right time. Right now, the carrier has a unique challenge at London Heathrow airport: in addition to running a state-of-the-art facility out of Terminal 5, multiple partner carriers fly through the airport’s neighboring terminals, which requires often-complicated transfers and security checks. A passenger arriving from Chicago to London and connecting to Barcelona, for example, might arrive with American Airlines in Terminal 3 and then need to take a bus to Terminal 5, go through security and then navigate to the right gate in order to make the connection.
BA’s new fully autonomous robots, which are made by BotsAndUs, could partially help facilitate a better connection. The new robots should be able to lead passengers to security, check-in desks, individual departure gates and a variety of other airport amenities. The robots can also speak multiple languages to accommodate travelers connecting from partner carriers such as Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines.
