|
 The feature is an upgrade of Pepper, a 120 cm (47 inch) high robot
with human-like features that is already in operation in some
countries welcoming visitors to shops, exhibitions and other public
spaces.
Pepper's camera scans the faces of people approaching it, and if it
detects the lower half of their face is uncovered, it pronounces the
phrase: "You have to always wear a mask properly."
If it sees that the visitor then puts on a mask, the robot follows
up with the phrase: "Thank you for having put on your mask."
The idea is not to have a robot police whether people are wearing
masks, but to provide a friendly reminder, said Jonathan Boiria,
head of sales in Europe for SoftBank Robotics, the company behind
Pepper.
[to top of second column] |
"Shops have to assign people at the entrance, a lot of people, to ensure respect
for the wearing of masks, and sometimes that is a stretch," Boiria told Reuters
in Paris.
"A robot allows you to free up some people so they can focus on their normal
tasks."
"We're all human. Sometimes I take off my mask when I get off the bus and I
forget to put it back on when I arrive at the office. The robot provides a
reminder. We can all get it wrong or forget."
(Reporting by Emilie Delwarde; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Mike
Collett-White)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
