UK. The UK’s first ‘humanoid robot airport ambassador’ – armed with song and dance routines and festive tales – has been unveiled at Glasgow Airport.
‘GLAdys’, whose name comes from the airport’s International Air Transport Association code, has been programmed to entertain passengers as they pass through the airport. She will be based in the main departures area.
The robot has been introduced as part of Glasgow Airport’s ‘Digital Passenger Experience Project’, a programme that explores how customer engagement and communication can be enhanced through digital technology.
GLAdys currently has three main entertainment functions and is always accompanied by members of Glasgow Airport’s ambassador team. She can sing and dance to three Christmas songs – Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rocking around the Christmas Tree and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Additionally, GLAdys can tell three festive tales – Twas the Night before Christmas, When Santa Claus Comes and Santa’s Workshop.
Passengers can take a selfie with GLAdys using a hand-mounted selfie camera, and images can be sent to their email address and/or to Glasgow’s digital team for use on the airport’s social media channels.
“We are always looking for new and innovative ways in which we can enhance customer experience at Glasgow and believe the introduction of GLAdys to be a first for a UK airport,” said Glasgow Airport Operations Director Mark Johnston.
“Last year we launched our virtual assistant, affectionately dubbed ‘Holly the Hologram’, at various points across the airport and she has since proved extremely popular with our passengers.
“GLAdys will be a fantastic addition to the terminal team and will prove to be an extremely popular feature with passengers commuting through the airport. She’s sure to be a firm favourite with our younger passengers this month thanks to her repertoire of festive songs and stories.”
THE TOP FIVE SONGS ABOUT AIRPORT ROBOTS… WELL, ABOUT ROBOTS ANYWAY
1. Given the similarity in name between GLAdys and GLaDOS, we have to include this wonderful duet between Jonathan Coulton and GLaDOS called ‘Still Alive’. GLaDOS sure sounds like a robot to us. And who cares anyway because the song is simply brilliant…
Now, these points of data
make a beautiful line.
And we’re out of beta.
We’re releasing on time!
So I’m GLaD I got burned!
Think of all the things we learned!
for the people who are
still alive.
2. One of the world’s most popular robot songs is Mr Roboto by Styx. Here are some of the lyrics. We have no idea whatsoever what they mean but it sounds like it might be a smash hit at Tokyo Narita Airport duty free.
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto
Mata au hi made
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto
Himitsu wo shiri tai
You’re wondering who I am (secret secret I’ve got a secret)
Machine or mannequin (secret secret I’ve got a secret)
With parts made in Japan (secret secret I’ve got a secret)
I am the modern man
3. In a clear reference to duty free cigarette sales at Glasgow Airport we bring you The Flaming Lips with their hit song ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’.
Oh Yoshimi they don’t believe me
But you won’t let those robots eat me
Yoshimi they don’t believe me
But you won’t let those robots defeat me
4. We kid you not, Kraftwerk’s ‘The Robots’ YouTube video has attracted 17,691,458 views. Make that 17,691,459 as we just watched it. Link the tune to a high-profile in-store promotion and you just can’t go wrong.
It goes (something) like this:
GLAdys charging her battery
And now she’s full of energy
She is the robot
She’s functioning Glasgowmatik
And she’s dancing airport manic
For she is the robot
5. And finally, from The Moodie Davitt Report Founder Martin Moodie’s antipodean homeland come the priceless, peerless Flight of the Conchords and their sublime ‘Humans are Dead’. Surely the theme tune for Auckland Airport’s own robot (pictured below)?
There are no more humans.
Finally, robotic beings rule the world
The humans are dead
The humans are dead
We used poisonous gases
And we poisoned their asses
The humans are dead, The humans are dead
The humans are dead, They look like they’re dead
It had to be done I’ll just confirm that they’re dead
So that we could have fun. Affirmative. I poked one. It was dead.
