Gold Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design · 2020
Niro Max Service Robot
- A' Design Award 2020 Gold Winner in Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Baidu
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 66,534
- Verification code 87E49ED740 · Verify this award
About Niro Max Service Robot
Niro Max is a service robot designed for airports. Face recognition and natural language interaction allow the robot to assist passengers with check-in, ticket return, flight information and other questions. SLAM technology lets Niro Max move freely through the terminal and recharge without assistance. A rear compartment holds a defibrillator and a first aid kit. The shell is made of injection moulded PC and ABS, with an internal frame of aluminium and sheet metal. The aim is proactive service with lower labour costs.
Within the evolving landscape of service robotics and human-machine interaction design, this work by Fan Yang represents a thoughtful synthesis of functional engineering requirements and expressive sculptural form that seeks to bridge the psychological distance between autonomous technology and human users in hospitality environments. The design appears to draw upon several decades of industrial design philosophy, perhaps most notably the organic modernism that emerged from Scandinavian and Germanic traditions where functional objects were conceived as inhabiting domestic and public spaces with the presence of sculpture rather than mere appliance. The vertical proportioning system, rising from stable base through narrowing waist to rounded head, suggests an abstracted human silhouette that may evoke feelings of familiarity and approachability without venturing into the uncanny valley of literal anthropomorphism. Technical accomplishment manifests in the seamless integration of multiple functional systems, including mobility mechanisms, display interfaces, speaker arrays, and sensor apertures, within a unified formal envelope that conceals complexity behind an appearance of effortless simplicity. The chromatic strategy of predominant white with strategic dark accents and the cyan illumination band demonstrates sophisticated understanding of how color and light function within contemporary interior environments, suggesting cleanliness, technological advancement, and approachable presence simultaneously. The accompanying charging dock, rendered in harmonious formal language, extends the design system while acknowledging the practical realities of autonomous operation. What emerges from this composition is a meditation on how technology might enter human service environments with grace, presenting itself as helpful presence rather than intrusive mechanism, and inviting viewers to consider how the objects of our technological future might be designed to enhance rather than diminish the warmth of human hospitality.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- NIRO-Max is an airport service robot can perform face recognition and natural language interaction. The SLAM technology enables it “walk” freely and charge itself autonomously to assist passengers with check-in, ticket return, flight info, and other inquiries while patrol airports. The back box of it is equipped with an AED and first aid kit. It can reach out to more passengers in need and proactively provide services with a less businesses system labor costs and a higher operational efficiency.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 530mm x 500mm x 1500mm
- Tags
- Artificial Intelligence, Mobile, Service, Robot, Robotic
- Production Technology
- The shell of NIRO Max is adopted with PC and ABS injection molding, and its internal skeleton is realized with aluminum and sheet metal processes. The case is secured with buckles and screws and multiple rounds of optimization have been done to achieve rapid disassembly of it. Max presents many Baidu AI technologies including the NLP, computer vision, cloud computing, and Easy Talk. The integration of ultrasonic, infrared wave sensors and SLAM technology provides a safe guarantee for the robot.
- Design Challenge
- Based on our research, proper mimic of human and cute appearance can enhance users' willingness to interact: Instead of using black screen, we applied a white light-transmitting material and displayed digital expressions through projection on the robot face. After rounds of optimization in the areas of acoustic and mechanical design for its structure, the final design has no screw on the surface achieved an easy assemble and disassemble reducing the difficulty and cost of its maintenance.
- Project Duration
- The project was launched in Beijing in January 2019 and officially released at the Baidu Yunzhi Summit in September 2019.
At present, hundreds of Taiwan-level cooperation agreements have been signed in the government affairs scenes such as China Customs and Vehicle Administration, and part of the delivery has been completed. In addition, there are a lot of cooperation in negotiation in airports and shopping malls. - Operation Flow
- The recessed screen helps protect user privacy. The depth camera can find the user and calculate user's distance to adjust speaker volume accordingly for better privacy. Digital facial expressions increase the humanity of interacting with the robot.
Max can move, watch, listen, think and speak like a human. It can identify the main speaker in a group conversation under noisy airport environment. When a user touches it, touch sensors can sense user touch's position and direction to give feedback. - Research
- Quantitative and qualitative, user interview, case study
Research content: user preferences of robot appearance, human-robot interaction in public, robot height, Uncanny Valley.
Key finding: lack of interaction willingness, unfriendly experience
Solution: arms increase users' perception of it being intelligent for higher willingness to interact, and eyes bring a more human like feeling.
Taller than users will pose a pressure to users and cute appearance increases users’ willingness to interact. - Inspiration
- Baidu, the world's largest Chinese search engine company, also a technology company of artificial intelligence represented by robots like Max launched in business scenarios. Max is a perfect combination of high technology and supreme user experience. In 5G eras, compared to human services, service robots can assist passengers in need accurately and flexibly to provide proactive services with a less businesses system labor costs and a higher operational efficiency.
Colors of Niro Max Service Robot
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