Luggage Robot Provides to the Curb Service at GVA

Leo blends AI and robotics for hassle-free baggage check-in. Currently in the trial phase, it is believed that this technology has the potential to improve the passenger experience.

The future of baggage handling is being tested at Geneva Airport (GVA), where Leo, a self-propelled robot, has been on hand to collect passengers’ luggage before they even enter Terminal 1 of GVA.

The result of a collaboration between telecoms company SITA and BlueBotics, a robotics firm, Leo can check in bags, print tags and transport baggage onto the correct flight.

Leo approaches passengers at the terminal’s threshold, who then use the robot’s touch screen to activate its Scan&Fly interface. This opens Leo’s baggage compartment, where passengers place their bags. After this, travelers scan their boarding passes and Leo prints any necessary luggage tags. Once the bags are tagged and loaded, the compartment closes and Leo displays the flight information associated with that particular set of baggage. The robot then rolls to the baggage handling area where luggage is routed onto the correct flight.

Leo can handle up to two pieces of luggage with a maximum weight of 32kg (70 pounds). In terms of security, once Leo’s baggage compartment is sealed, it can only be opened by an authorized operator.

Equipped with sensors, Leo can avoid obstacles and is capable of maneuvering in a high-traffic airport environment. It’s hoped that Leo’s synthesis of artificial intelligence and robotics could help to cut down on congestion within bag drop areas.

Thus far, Leo’s test run appears to have been successful. Massimo Gentile, GVA’s Head of IT, commented on the trial in a statement last month, saying, “In a busy airport such as Geneva Airport … Leo limits the number of bags in the airport terminal, helping us accommodate a growing number of passengers without compromising the airport experience.”

Currently on trial only at GVA, there is hope that this technology could improve the future global passenger experience.

“Leo demonstrates that robotics hold the key to more effective, secure and smarter baggage handling and is major step towards further automating bag handling in airports,” said Dave Bakker, SITA’s President, Europe.

[Photos: SITA]