The Indian robot, that has its roots in China, can recognise people by their nationalities and guide customers in a bank just as customer care executives used to do.
Confused in a bank queue? Or too many counters send you in a tizzy? Worry not, 'Mitra' the friend is there to guide you through complicated bank procedures. In a first, Bangaluru's branch of Canara Bank has deployed a five-foot-high robot Mitra to guide its customers in banking operations.
Weighing at 30kg, Mitra has been working diligently for a robot, often changing roles as a receptionist and giving bank tours to the customers, reported Hindustan Times. The Indian robot, that has its roots in China, can recognise people by their nationalities and guide customers in a bank just as customer care executives used to do. The robot helps identify people at the airports and other places through nationalities or ethnic backgrounds and recommends hotel, restaurants and places of interests.
The robot that was deployed at Canara Bank four-and-a-half months ago is one of the first prototypes, its co-founder was quoted as saying to the paper. Mitra- the humanoid robot named after Vedic God of friendship-is designed to be an "indoor autonomous robot", or a robot that can be deployed in locations such as offices, hospitals and even multiplex cinemas, the report added.
Mitra which was designed in Bengaluru-based Invento Robotics but manufactured in the Chinese city of Shenzhen was also presented as a model of merger of India's software prowess with China's hardware, Gagan Sabharwal, Senior Director, Global Trade Development, NASSCOM told PTI.
Mitra is a perfect example of how Indian software and China's hardware can be merged, Sabharwal said, adding that the agreement helps to bring the small and medium-sized enterprises and startups of both the countries to launch into Internet of Things (IOT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), he said. It had grabbed eyeballs and captivated Chinese manufacturers at a recently held IT event in the southern port city of Dalian.
Its inventors could not bring it to the first India-China Dalian Internet of Things (IoT) Conference which was well attended by top Chinese and Indian manufacturing firms as the airlines did not allow its heavy batteries to be transported.
Instead it was introduced through a presentation which drew considerable attention, Sabharwal said.
NASSCOM plans to take it to a major IT event in Japan next month to highlight its operational utility at the airports, Sabharwal said.
During the event, NASSCOM and Dalian local government signed an agreement to further strengthen software and IT communication and cooperation amid opportunities brought about by the global digital revolution.
With Agency Inputs