At a recent media event during Emirates Group’s annual innovation fest, Forsatek, Keenan Hamza, Vice President of Technology Futures & Innovation, revealed surprising insights about customer interactions with robotic check-in assistants.
Despite the promise of streamlining airport processes, the group’s pioneering robotic system, Sara, has faced reluctance from travellers, especially in the business class terminal.
Hamza noted that while the robot was designed to enhance convenience, initial trials indicated that passengers were wary of engaging with Sara. “When we put Sara in the business class terminal, we found out that people avoid it,” Hamza explained.
He highlighted that while children were enthusiastic about the robot, adults showed hesitation. “It is a robot. They don’t know how to approach it. This is very important information to us,” he added.
The Emirates Group has been utilizing Sara to gather data on passenger behavior and interaction patterns.
The trials, which began with Sara’s introduction at Forsatek 2023, have provided valuable insights into how customers interact with the technology and their comfort levels.
“We are using her to collect a lot of information and see how long they are spending with her,” Hamza said.
He revealed that the company plans to expand the use of robotic technology throughout the airport by the end of the year, with announcements of new partnerships in robotics expected.
Despite the initial challenges, Emirates remains committed to integrating advanced technologies into its operations to enhance the passenger experience.
The group is investing heavily in innovations, with a focus on high-tech solutions that promise to transform air travel.
The startup ecosystem plays a crucial role in Emirates’ innovation strategy. Since the launch of its aviation and travel-focused incubator Intelak in 2016 and the Aviation X Lab in 2017, Emirates has nurtured 160 alumni startups.
Some of these startups have already made significant impacts. For instance, the home check-in system Dubz, which emerged from the Intelak programme, has become a key part of Emirates’ operations and expanded to other cities.
Similarly, Emirates Red, which allows passengers to pre-order duty-free items, also originated from the startup initiative.
Hamza expressed enthusiasm about the current cohort of startups and innovations. He highlighted an audio engineering programme designed to target airport announcements to specific areas, creating a more personalized and less disruptive experience for travellers.
“We are hoping to be the first airport to implement this,” Hamza said. “This will remove the noise and sounds that make passengers anxious and reduce friction for them.”
Another promising development is BeaconAI, a technology aimed at consolidating various cockpit inputs into a single AI-powered system.
“When pilots are in the cockpit, there are over 70 different inputs,” Hamza noted. “BeaconAI aims to integrate all these inputs into one system, which could transform air travel.”
Hamza emphasized the importance of agility in technology development. “Technology degrades 5 percent every month,” he said.
“If someone lists out what they want from a system today, within one and a half years, the list is out of date. It is crucial to keep an open mind and build systems that can adapt to new advancements.”
As Emirates Group continues to explore and implement cutting-edge technologies, the insights gained from these early trials will be essential in shaping the future of air travel and passenger interactions with robotic systems.