Based at Berlin Main Station, the robotic head is able to answer questions such as ‘where are the lockers?,’ ‘what is the fastest way to get to Alexanderplatz?,’ and ‘where can I buy sushi in the station?’
“Semmi is proof of the potential of artificial intelligence for our customer service,” says Ms Sabina Jeschke, DB’s board member for digitalisation and technology.
“With the increasing demand for the railways and their networking with other public transport, the need for information of our customers is increasing. With new technologies we want to supplement our information offerings with further digital services and thus relieve the local staff.”
DB has developed an artificially intelligent, cloud-based speech dialogue system that could also connect to an app or voice assistant as well as the robotic head.
Semmi learns to interact with passengers and accumulates more knowledge through each test day. The system has already been tested at Frankfurt Airport and Tokyo Central Station together with JR East.
DB says the system will take the pressure off staff and allow them more time for more complex tasks and queries.
In addition to travel information, Semmi also offers small talk, and recognises and answers questions automatically in German and English. If required, she is also fluent in other languages such as French, Polish, Spanish and Italian.
