Robot to guide passengers on No. 49 route
An intelligent robot can be your bus tour guide after the new "employee" was introduced on the No. 49 bus route on Tuesday.
The one-meter-tall robot, dressed in a uniform and wearing a mask, can interact with passengers within its sensing area or through a touch of its head.
It can offer bus route guidance and weather forecast in speech and through the screen on its front.
The robot can also connect to nearby Wi-Fi hotspots for further information.
According to the bus company, the robot will operate at various stops, including People’s Square and terminals, during its trial period.
Line 49 services popular tourist destinations such as the Bund and Nangjing Road E., and key medical facilities such as Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Cancer Center and Longhua Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.
The robot can be particularly beneficial to the elderly who have a higher demand for bus transport and medical services, the company said.