The first robotic complex in Iran

housing a number of domestically-built intelligent waiter robots capable of interacting with humans is set for launch in the near future.

Esmaeil Mehrabi, a Robotics graduate from Amirkabir University of Technology, told Mehr News Agency that his team started working on a national project to build waiter robots nearly a year ago.

According to him, “the robots built for the project have an artificial auditory system, can easily interact with humans and speak several languages.”

“We are planning to launch the first Iranian robotic complex within a few months in Tehran,” he said.

He went on to add that the process of taking orders at the complex will be done via modern technology in the sense that customers will give orders by using tablets on the tables and even pay the bills online.

“These robots can talk to humans, convey a sense of happiness or sadness through their facial expressions,” he added.

Noting the existence of robotic fast food restaurants in China, Singapore, Malaysia, UK, US and a number of other countries, Mehrabi said “the majority of foreign-built robots move on specific, predetermined lines and have no interaction with humans. Our robots, however, choose the best route to move based on intelligent algorithms.”

The news of the Iranian-designed robot comes only a few weeks after Japan’s Panasonic released its own robot called HOSPI to Japan’s airports.

At the moment the company’s HOSPI robots are being trialed at Narita Airport in Chiba, Japan, which is usually where people arrive when they visit Tokyo. These robots will be used to help restaurants at the airport collect plates, serve drinks to customers, as well as provide information on directions.

source : https://tinyurl.com/zhhvr8y

To successfully initiate a broad improvement program, decide on a structure, select the sequence that’s right for your type of company, and don’t forget to recruit change agents.

As improving customer experience becomes a bigger component of corporate strategy, more and more executives will face the decision to commit their organizations to a broad customer-experience transformation. But it’s not sufficient to understand that the benefits of change are great. The immediate challenge will be choosing how to structure the organization and rollout, and deciding where and how to get started.

Video : http://tinyurl.com/z42tdd8

Seeing through customers’ eyes

McKinsey principal Ron Ritter explores the challenges and benefits that come when companies truly put customers first.

These are critical issues because, like many far-reaching and complex business programs, customer-experience transformations frequently fail to live up to expectations. The foundations of such transformations require organizations to make cultural changes and to rewire themselves operationally and financially. Customer journeys, which are cross-functional by nature, cut across traditional organizational boundaries, and changing this dynamic is tricky.

It is important to think about program design before you start: decide on a structure, examine the best sequence for your type of company, and make sure you are engaging change agents and minimizing the inevitable resistance. You’ll also want to think about where to start, so you can be sure to deliver near-term impact. This is crucial for gaining momentum and organizational buy-in and for identifying the funding and capacity to reinvest in your transformation.

Choosing an overall architecture

The first step in setting up any customer-experience transformation is establishing the right overall architecture. A typical program involves five elements. Senior executives will want to set a clear, inspiring vision for the ideal customer experience, including a change story to underline the importance of delivering on goals. Drawing up a governance blueprint is also important, both to set up a mechanism to make decisions on cross-cutting initiatives and to align new and ongoing initiatives in each function with overall customer-experience objectives. Drafting an initiative road map will serve as a portfolio of actions to deliver on the vision. Metrics and initiative objectives should be set to gauge progress. It’s important to monitor both “hard” metrics on performance and “soft” metrics that relate to organizational health. Finally, establishing purpose-driven change-management principles will define a new way of working, embed it in the organization, and guide frontline employees across functions (Exhibit 1).

Read more here : http://tinyurl.com/zouuebc

without any constraints of weight or format! Your purchases will be deposited free of charge in an electronic box.
Travel light and find your shopping on your way back.

Formally known as Tokyo International Airport, is located less than 30 minutes south of central Tokyo, considerably closer to the city center than Narita Airport, Tokyo’s other airport. Compared to Narita Airport, Haneda Airport handles way more domestic flights, but fewer international flights. With over 60 million passengers per year overall, Haneda Airport is by far Japan’s busiest airport and ranks among the world’s five busiest airports.

Haneda Airport was opened in 1931. In 1978, the then newly constructed Narita Airport took over most of Tokyo’s international air traffic, while Haneda Airport was designated to handle the capital’s domestic air traffic. Haneda Airport resumed handling an increased number of international flights in 2010 with the completion of a new runway and a new international terminal building; however, most international flights (except those to nearby Asian destinations) were banned to often inconvenient early morning and late evening slots.

to improve the end-to-end process, helping to reduce costs and provide a better passenger experience.

Our solutions also enable airlines to meet industry requirements like IATA Resolution 753.
Learn more at SITA.aero: http://www.sita.aero/solutions-and-se…

USA: Air travellers landing in Dallas now have a new way to plan their ground travel before leaving the airport, thanks to Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the ConnectPoint® Interactive Touchscreen Kiosk from CHK America.

The kiosk provides interactive information for the seven million passengers arriving in Dallas each year to help them transition from airline travel to DART rail and bus services. The interactive kiosks provide route information into wayfinding messages that users can easily read and understand.

“DART is always looking for ways to better engage riders and potential riders at all points of contact, and this interactive map is a perfect tool to provide information on how to ride and where customers can go as soon as they land at the airport,” Nevin Grinnell, DART Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Chief Marketing Officer, said.

“DART is a recognized leader for customer-focused innovation,” commented Rick Wood, CHK America’s President and CEO. “Deploying the ConnectPoint® Interactive Kiosk at Love Field is a significant step forward in providing airline passengers with the information they need to successfully transition to DART’s outstanding transit services.”

The web-enabled ConnectPoint® Interactive Touchscreen Kiosk integrates with tracking and location systems, scheduling systems and other DART information systems to provide comprehensive information to customers. Touchscreen technology allows for intuitive interaction with the information to explore transit options and to create specific routes, including an overview of entire routes, next departure times as well as detailed local mapping for each stop. The kiosks also provide trip-planning tools that include detailed travel directions for public transportation, cars, bicycling and walking. Texting and email options are also included for easy transfer to a mobile device.

The kiosk also has the ability to push out route deviations as they happen, generate revenue via location-based advertising and leverages smart phones at the decision-making point.

CHK America has invested a significant amount of capital and human resources into developing its new suite of digital products, marketed under the ConnectPoint Digital banner to appeal to today’s tech savvy riders, providing a higher level of customized information to meet their “on the go” planning needs. Additional products include ConnectPoint® Digital Bus Stops that are solar or battery powered and can easily be mounted directly to poles; the ConnectPoint® Dashboard that displays current transportation options using existing infrastructure and can be deployed on any screen with a variety transportation feeds available to your agency including Uber, Lyft, Bikeshare, etc.; and The ConnectPoint® SmartStop featuring two 13″ digital bus stop displays at the top of the pole, and a 10-inch interactive tablet at waist level, providing unprecedented flexibility to transit agencies wishing to provide the most current information to their customers.

source : http://tinyurl.com/hf3fzkj

But it seems Korea’s gateway is still hungry for excellence.
Hwang Hojun has this report.
Incheon International Airport has been recognized as the best airport in the world by the Airports Council International for an eleventh straight year.
It’s the highest accolade an airport can receive.
But there’s more.
The airport has also surpassed the 500-million mark for accumulated number of visitors… and has the eighth highest international passenger traffic in the world.


 

“It means they’re doing their job very well. And it is easy to navigate and people are helpful.”

The airport strives to impress its customers with amenities such as premium duty-free shops, a quality medical center, a movie theater and even a spa.
Visitors can also experience Korean culture through the multiple cultural events scheduled throughout the day.
However, a great amount of effort is necessary for the airport to maintain its high standard of service.

“Complacency does not seem to be an issue. I’m coming back next year, looking forward to it, and I expect that the things that I like will still be here, and I’ll be surprised by something new.”

The airport has also had to overcome its share of challenges.
Earlier this year, there were a couple of embarrassing security breaches and luggage mishandling incidents.

“The airport is already reaching its maximum capacity, which is the main cause of those mishaps. But we’ll be able to prevent issues like these, as we’ll get much more breathing room when the third phase of our construction project is done in 2017.”

The project includes a second terminal, which will allow the airport to support over 62 million passengers and a thousand flights a day.
The airport has also signed an agreement to build a resort called Inspire, with completion set for 2020.
The facility will include six-star hotels, theme parks, shopping centers and a casino — all practically adjacent to the airport.

“Winning the best airport service quality award for 11 consecutive years is an impressive accomplishment. But there are still hurdles to overcome, and Korea’s flagship airport plans to continue to evolve and put the needs of its customers first.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News, Incheon.”

We know that flying can sometimes be a frightening experience, and the airport environment can also be challenging.

We’re committed to making sure our passengers have the best experience possible and have been working in partnership with local organisations and industry experts to help passengers who might need a little extra assistance.

To make your journey through Edinburgh Airport as easy and stress-free as possible we’ve introduced our Travelling with Additional Needs toolkit.

This toolkit is made up of a series of factsheets which break the airport journey down into easy step-by-step stages – allowing you to familiarise yourself with Edinburgh Airport and be clear on what you should expect when travelling.

The factsheets focus on how you can arrive at the airport and how to check-in, what to expect when going through the security process and how to locate your gate in the departure lounge. Specific factsheets have also been created for passengers who may have an autism-spectrum disorder and those who may have hearing or visual impairments. You can find these factsheets using the links below.

If you feel that these factsheets don’t answer all your questions or if you have any further concerns then please emailadditionalneeds@edinburghairport.com with more information on your journey and our team will be delighted to support you.

We have a committed team at Edinburgh Airport, in particular our Customer Service Leaders who are on hand to assist you with any issue, question or query. Our Customer Service Leaders are instantly recognisable as they’re always wearing a high-viz vest and a smile.

Autism-spectrum disorders

At Edinburgh Airport, we understand that each person is unique and what works for one person may not work for the next. That is why we encourage people to contact us before they travel so we can understand your needs and come up with a plan to ensure a smooth journey through the airport.

We will be able to advise you on quieter times to travel and more peaceful areas of the airport where you can relax before your flight. We can also arrange for visits to the airport in advance to allow you to familiarise yourself with the environment and the airport process. If you would like more information about support we can offer you please email additionalneeds@edinburghairport.com.

As part of this familiarisation, we have created a number of factsheets which breakdown the journey through the airport into key stages:

• Arriving and checking-in
• Security
• Departing

For more general information about preparing for a holiday, please see Scottish Autism’€™s ‘Going on Holiday’ factsheet.

For further advice and guidance on preparing for a holiday, you can contact Scottish Autism’€™s experienced team of Autism Advisors on 01259 720044 or email autism@scottishautism.org

Hearing and visual impairments

For passengers who may have hearing or visual impairments we have created factsheets in a word document format which are compatible with most screen readers.

Induction loops can be found in locations around the terminal (look for signs showing the “sympathetic ear” symbol). Payphones and credit card telephones are available in all parts of the airport and are adapted for hearing aids. Guide and hearing dogs are the only dogs allowed in the terminal buildings. A dog spending area for assistance dogs only is located next to the multi-storey car park. A dog waste bin is located within the spending area.

Induction loops can be accessed in the following areas of the airport:

• Gate 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12
• At gate 18 in our south east pier
• Baggage belts 1, 2 and 3 in our international arrivals hall
• At the entrance to Starbucks in our domestic arrivals area

If you would like more information on induction loops at the airport please email additionalneeds@edinburghairport.com

Travelling with a Heart Device

Air travel should be relatively straightforward if you have been fitted with an implanted cardiac device. There are three main types of device which are inserted under the skin; pacemakers, cardiac resynchronisation therapy devices and implantable cardioverterdefibrillators. There are other cardiac devices which may be implanted for short or long term investigations or treatment so if you are unsure if you have one of these devices, always check with your doctor or nurse before planning to travel by air.

Implanted cardiac devices are designed so that they should not be affected by airport security screening equipment. However, there is a small chance that the metal parts of your device might set off airport security metal detector alarm. Therefore it is vital that you carry your personal Patient ID card with you at all times when travelling as it contains essential information.

Please show your Patient ID card to a Security Officer when in the search area to ensure they can take appropriate action to assist you with your journey.

To minimise the risk of temporary interference to your heart device when going through airport electromagnetic security screening, you should:

• Avoid touching metal surfaces around any screening equipment
• Walk through the screening archway at a normal pace. The security archway will not harm your device but do not stay in the vicinity of the screening arch for any longer than is absolutely necessary.
• Airport security wands could also temporarily affect your device or turn it off if the wand is held over it for a prolonged period of time (longer than 30 seconds). If you have shown your Patient ID card to a member of the security team they should know not to hold it over your device or the surrounding area.

If you have concerns about security screening at Edinburgh Airport please speak to a member of the airport security team who will be happy to help you through the search area. Once on board the aircraft your device will not cause any interference to the aircraft’s electronic systems.

To access a copy of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s free publications please click on the links below or take a look at our websitewww.chss.org.uk

If you would like further information please call the Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Advice Line Nurses on: 0808 810 0899 (Freephone) Monday to Friday 9:30-4pm.

For more information, these handy guides should help:

Air travel for people affected by chest, heart & stroke illness:

www.chss.org.uk/documents/2013/08/f13_air_travel_web.pdf

Living with a pacemaker:

www.chss.org.uk/living-with-a-pacemaker.pdf

Living with an ICD:

www.chss.org.uk/living-with-an-icd.pdf

Remember to always carry your Patient ID Card with you in your hand luggage.

http://www.edinburghairport.com/prepare/travelling-with-additional-needs

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