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Robots used as museums guides in Berlin

November 9, 2016

The German Museum of Technology has a new employee. A one and a half meter tall android service robot aided by computer-controlled motors is to guide visitors in the museum.

https://p.dw.com/p/2SOXB
Deutschland Technikmuseum präsentiert den Museumsroboter Tim
Image: picture-alliance /dpa/R. Jensen

"Hello, my name is Tim"- with these words the 75 kilogram heavy robot will greet visitors at the German Museum of Technology as of this Wednesday. Assisted by stored maps Tim will guide visitors, in English and German, through a new permanent exhibition called: "The Network: People, Cables, Data Streams". 
But the human museum guides need not worry about their jobs. Tim presently can only make short statements - he is not able to respond to any questions. Tim also doesn't much look like his two legged colleagues: he consists of a transparent sphere with two eyes and a display. Both of these are mounted on a turquoise colored socket. "He has what it takes to be loved by audiences," Eva Kudraß, the curator of the German Museum of Technology believes.

The German Museum of Technology on an area of 25,000 square meters focuses on the history of transport, communication, production and energy technologies.  

Starting from the year 2000 robots have greeted visitors to the Museum of Communication in Berlin - but robots that independently guide museum visitors is a new innovation.

is/at/sc (dpa/berlin.de)