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EVA Air's Latest Lounge Assistant Is a Robot Named Pepper

Jan. 05, 2017
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3 min read
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EVA Air's Latest Lounge Assistant Is a Robot Named Pepper
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If you're flying out of or through Taipei's Taiwan Taoyuan Airport (TPE), swing by the EVA Air lounge to check out the extra-special attendant on site: a robot named Pepper. Here's his intro video from last month:

While this video shows him pulling a rolling suitcase, Pepper isn't quite ready to help out around the quite hectic TPE check-in desks. Instead, it's been assigned to the check-in desk between EVA Air's Infinity lounge and Star lounge in TPE's Terminal 2. However, another Pepper is assisting at EVA Air's international counter at Taipei's other airport: Songshan (TSA).

According to Taiwan News, EVA Air's Peppers currently only understand and respond in Mandarin — but the airline is working on adding English and Japanese languages. If you're hoping to catch Pepper at another airport, sadly "the airline does not plan to use the robot at other gateways."

SoftBank developers trying to teach Pepper to play sand volleyball at RoboCup 2016.

Pepper was developed by Aldebaran Robotics — which is owned by Japanese company SoftBank — and has been deployed in various uses. He's already helping sell duty free items in Tokyo's Narita Airport (NRT) and selling pizza in Asia. Even wilder, last summer, I saw SoftBank developers trying to teach Pepper to play sand volleyball, which was a rather futile effort.

This morning, I dropped by the EVA Air's lounge to see Pepper's latest assignment. While I was there, passengers were far more interested in entering the lounge than checking out EVA Air's latest robot assistant. So, I didn't see him in action scanning boarding passes and providing "travelers with additional information such as their boarding gate, boarding time, and weather conditions at their destination."

But, Pepper wasn't bored. It turns out that, when he's not helping out lounge guests, Pepper loves to show off his dance moves. And, if you're wondering: no, Pepper doesn't do The Robot:

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Aldebaran Robotics has also developed a much smaller cousin to Pepper named NAO. Like Pepper, NAO is deployed in performing all kinds of tasks, from working as a concierge at a Hilton in Virginia to playing soccer. Indeed, TPG contributor Katie Genter has been training a team of NAOs to play soccer for an annual competition called "RoboCup," even winning the worldwide competition in 2012.

Bottom Line

While we are a very long way from the future imagined in the TV show The Jetsons, robots are slowly making their way into our everyday lives. We applaud EVA Air for taking this step, however gimmicky it might seem on the surface. Hopefully, EVA Air — and other airlines and hotels — will continue to incorporate friendly robots into assisting travelers with more mundane tasks, while not losing the ever-important human service element.

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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.