A low-cost European airline has tested out a ‘humanoid’ flight attendant that greeted passengers, performed safety routines and even checked boarding passes on a commercial flight.
The humanoid agent AI avatar, developed by Unitree Robotics, made its debut as a cabin crew assistant on a Boeing 737 flight from Ulyanovsk to Moscow – a random experiment that proved surprisingly successful.
Described by manufacturers as ‘sensitive and reliable,’ the machine, named Volodya, is capable of a wide range of tasks, including performing backflips and Tai Chi, as well as having the ability to solder and handle delicate objects.
These skills have since been put to the test by Pobeda, a subsidiary of Russia’s flagship carrier, Aeroflot, which assigned the robot a new role as flight attendant on board a fully booked flight.
As passengers boarded the plane, Volodya, dressed in a blue t-shirt to co-ordinate with the rest of the crew, not only greeted and shook their hands, but proceeded to inspect a number of boarding passes.
According to Aerospace Global News, the humanoid veered up front to help perform pre-flight safety instructions, before retreating to its window seat to await take-off.
Once airborne, Volodya walked the aisle and interacted with passengers before once again settling down for landing.
But don’t expect to be flying with the airline soon.
Volodya made its debut as a cabin crew assistant on a Boeing 737 flight, operated by low-cost Russian airline, Pobeda, from Ulyanovsk to Moscow
Volodya, which helped cabin crew perform safety demonstrations (pictured), is capable of performing tasks like backflips and Tai Chi, as well as having the ability to handle delicate objects
Pobeda, which flies to a number of destinations across Russia, as well as operating select flights to Turkey, Belarus, and Uzbekistan, is currently banned from flying into the European Union.
And before anyone begins fearing a not-too-distant AI uprising, the robot essentially demonstrated that it is not quite ready to replace the human crew.
Though Volodya successfully performed programmed movements and was able to efficiently interact with passengers, human flight attendants remained responsible for all tasks relating to safety and service throughout the flight.
This included securing the cabin, answering passenger questions, and serving food and beverages.
The humanoid might be agile and expressive, but it is also a lightweight machine that is unable to reliably stay upright in particular instances, such as during turbulence.
Pobeda has since assured the experiment was simply a technology demonstration supervised by flight attendants.
Meanwhile, other high-tech travel innovations include a futuristic £14.5 million plane with TV screens instead of windows .
The jet, called Phantom 3500, will use technology on the outside of the plane to provide immersive views.
The creators, Otto Aerospace, plan to launch the aircraft in 2027.
It also features an ultra-smooth exterior, which enhances the laminar flow of the plane – significantly reducing drag and increasing fuel efficiency and performance.
Without windows dragging the aircraft down, it should provide economic fuel usage – around 60 per cent less than traditional planes – as well as improved range.
Dressed in a blue t-shirt to co-ordinate with the rest of the crew, the robot not only greeted and shook passengers’ hands, but proceeded to inspect a number of boarded passes
After take off, Volodya walked the aisle and interacted with passengers before settling down in its very own window seat for landing
Human flight attendants remained responsible for all tasks relating to safety and service throughout the flight
The system of state-of-the-art cameras will provide real-time views of the outside of the plane.
Passengers will find a two-metre high cabin which offers enough space for nine people to travel comfortably and inside the cockpit there will be cutting-edge technology and next-gen avionics for precision control.
Otto Aerospace said: ‘Passengers enjoy stunning, uninterrupted views of the sky and landscape, all while benefiting from the enhanced aerodynamics and efficiency that come with complete laminar flow design.’
FlexJet, a private jet company, has already purchased a bulk order of 300 units of the Phantom 3500.
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