This article was taken from the August 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
These intelligent robots are here to help. Called Sigas (Santander Interactive Guest Assistants), the five 61cm-tall robots guide guests around the visitors' centre of Santander bank's Group City HQ, near Madrid. Using 16 sonar sensors for object detection and RF to take bearings from the centre's 12 RF tags, each robot is autonomous, sharing information with the others to assign tasks efficiently. In their down time, the Sigas play music, interact with people or chat among themselves. The project, by Portuguese firm YDreams, includes interactive walls and LED displays. "Santander came to us with a clear brief," says Carolina Luz, account manager for YDreams. "They needed something that reflected the modernity of the bank, but also gave the space some 'soul'."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
