Europe



Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is testing out a new friendly employee named Spencer – an armless robot with a sweet, yet bland, face above a touchscreen body.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is testing a robot, named Spencer, who is intended to help passengers at the airport.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is testing a robot, named Spencer, who is intended to help passengers at the airport. Image by KLM

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines began testing Spencer the robot at Schiphol airport on Monday.

The airline intends to use the robot to help transferring passengers to find their way from gate to gate in the busy airport. KLM notes that travellers often miss flights due to delays, getting lost and language barriers, which the robot technology is intended to help those passing through the airport to overcome.

Spencer is intended to be able to recognize groups of people, human emotions and to respond to unexpected situations, according to a KLM news release.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is testing a robot, named Spencer, who is intended to help passengers at the airport.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is testing a robot, named Spencer, who is intended to help passengers at the airport. Image by KLM

The testing will continue until 4 December in the Schengen area of the airport, but the robot isn’t yet interacting with airline passengers. The final demonstration is set for March of next year.

The project is supported by the European Commission, and has been undertaken in partnership with researchers and businesses, including KLM.