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Kalaari MD Vani Kola bowled over by 'cute' AI-driven robots at Bengaluru airport

Synopsis

The googly-eyed robot that has a screen for its face resembles a standing kiosk.

Vani Kola was beyond impressed to see 'helpful robots' at Terminal 1 of the Bengaluru airport.​Agencies
Vani Kola was beyond impressed to see 'helpful robots' at Terminal 1 of the Bengaluru airport.
Long queues, prolonged waiting time and lack of assistance can make airport experiences taxing. Due to high footfalls at airports, check-ins and boarding have been taking longer than usual.

Troubled by chaos, delays and overcrowding, many airlines like Indigo, SpiceJet and Air India have asked passengers to reach at least 3.5 hours before their flights, with just one handbag.

From long commute time to the airport in Bengaluru traffic to endless queues at immigration and security counters, billionaire businesswoman Vani Kola has had her share of airport troubles.

Taking to LinkedIn on Thursday, the Kalaari Capital Managing Director said that airport experiences in Bengaluru can be frustrating.

Deciding to share the positive news about Bengaluru airport, the venture capitalist came across 'helpful robots' at Terminal 1.

Kola shared a 10-second-long video of the BLRBot (aka Temi), developed by Mumbai-based startup Artiligent Solutions, which was busy helping passengers with basic queries. The googly-eyed robot that has a screen for its face resembles a standing kiosk.


The text in the video read, "Bangalore Airport is the first airport in India to introduce AI-driven robots. I found robot assistants at the Terminal 1 of Kempegowda International Airport. Robots will help passengers in finding their boarding gates, baggage claim areas, shopping areas, drinking water facilities, etc. Share it with your Bangalorean friends."

In her post, the 59-year-old wrote, "It was cute to see them in action, guiding passengers and answering basic queries. #BLRBot aka Temi has been built by Mumbai-based startup Artiligent Solutions. Instead of having an info desk, where at best there is a bored person sitting, it is great to have info-bots to help people. They can be a source of practical knowledge & guidance amid the airport chaos."

Last November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the glitzy Terminal-2 of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru. The terminal is said to be an eco-friendly facility constructed at an estimated Rs 5,000 crore largely using bamboo.

Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, who is also a Bengaluru resident, said that the airport was the best one in the world.

Nicknamed 'terminal in a garden', the new infrastructure facility at the KIA is expected to cater to 2.5 crore passengers, annually.

Have you had the chance to interact with the robot at Terminal 1 in Bengaluru airport? Let us know your experience in the Comments section.

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