What is the significance of conducting field tests with multiple robots in public spaces, and what unexpected results have emerged?

Japan Airport Building Corporation, Dentsu Inc. and Dentsu International Information Services have established the " Haneda Robotics Lab " and launched the "Haneda Airport Robot Experiment Project" to verify robot technologies. This project provides a testing ground within the airport for a wide range of robotics companies. Utilizing the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Robot Introduction Verification Project," it is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as part of efforts to realize the government's "Reform 2020" project. Phase 1 (December 15, 2016 - February 13, 2017) featured demonstration tests of robots from 17 companies in the Departure Lobby of Haneda Airport's Domestic Terminal 2, attracting significant attention. This time, we spoke with Junichi Shimizu of Japan Airport Building and Fumihiko Nakajima of Dentsu Inc. about the objectives of the demonstration tests and their potential.

The Background of Haneda Airport and Dentsu Group Launching the Haneda Robotics Lab

Nakajima: Was Japan Airport Building already interested in utilizing robots?

Shimizu: Securing labor has long been a challenge for us. We constantly need to consider how to support 24/7 operations at an airport where diverse people gather. Haneda Airport consistently earns the highest "5-Star Airport" rating in the Global Airport Ranking by Skytrax, the UK company that evaluates airport services worldwide. This recognition stems from our meticulous cleanliness and exceptional customer service. However, we recognize a growing crisis: as passenger numbers increase, so will the need for more labor. Furthermore, with the expansion of international flights, simply maintaining our current service levels will no longer satisfy international customers.

Our mid-term management plan also aims to maintain the 5-star airport status and become the world's most preferred airport. However, as selection criteria are expected to become stricter each year, we must provide new services aligned with the times and improve areas where our service has been lacking. Currently, we lack the capacity for such improvements, leading to concerns about a future decline in service levels. We don't believe robots will solve these problems 100%, but from a medium-to-long-term perspective, we felt it necessary to explore robot utilization to address at least some of our labor and service challenges.

Nakajima: There were pilot tests before this project, right?

Shimizu: We used autonomous cleaning robots in some areas. We also collected proof-of-concept data by having our concierge, who provides patrol guidance, ride on a stand-up mobility support robot. Additionally, we conducted verification tests with an airline, running electric wheelchairs throughout the entire facility.

Based on the Cabinet Office's " Strategic Innovation Creation Program," we are also developing an original cart to replace the hand trucks used for delivering store merchandise, in collaboration with Ota City and Tokyo Institute of Technology. One case where a pilot led to full implementation involved testing a robotic suit to reduce back strain for staff handling long periods of loading and unloading luggage at limousine bus stops. Ultimately, Tokyo Airport Transportation, which operates limousine buses through us, introduced ten units starting last November.

Originally, we wanted to prevent airport employees from resigning due to health reasons. Rather than repeatedly training new staff from scratch after experienced personnel left, we aimed to provide mechanisms reducing physical strain so they could work longer. However, since these were all independent projects, sustaining them across the organization—including group companies—proved extremely challenging.

Nakajima: So you realized it needed to be approached as a large-scale project involving various people and companies, rather than thinking about it individually.

Shimizu: I intuitively felt that individual efforts alone wouldn't suffice. At Japan Airport Building, we operate "Haneda Star Sweets," a select shop featuring popular brands within the terminal building. I wondered if we could use a similar approach to disseminate information about robots. The Japanese government's "Reform 2020" project also expressed the desire to revitalize Japanese industry using cutting-edge technologies like robots. There was a vision to showcase robots at Haneda Airport, Japan's gateway. This proof-of-concept experiment was positioned as part of that broader initiative, one step toward realizing the "Reform 2020" project. We began the effort in collaboration with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Promoting to the world through the public-private partnership "All Haneda"

Nakajima: Our team originally focused on technology-based business development, such as robots and IoT, and supporting client companies with innovation. We're a unique team within Dentsu Inc., involved in product development and communication robot development. Through a connection, we linked up with Japan Airport Building and have been participating in events and business planning using technology. This background led to the launch of Haneda Robotics Lab. Could you tell us how the Haneda Robotics Lab secretariat came to be?

Shimizu: We often use the term "All Haneda." For a terminal building company like ours, trying to advance new initiatives independently within the airport is quite challenging. Collaboration with relevant government agencies and businesses operating in the Haneda area is crucial. This project is also a public-private partnership, conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), with the support of users like airlines. Within this framework, we wanted to more strongly emphasize the value proposition of "Haneda."

We had a launch period of just under a year, during which we refined the project's value and content through discussions with Dentsu Inc. We want to use the stage of Haneda Airport to showcase Japan's excellent and promising robots to the rest of Japan and the world. We envision this accelerating proof-of-concept testing, facilitating business matching for those involved in robotics, and increasing opportunities to go global. That's the role we aim to fulfill.

Nakajima: Dentsu Inc. proposed the name "Lab" because we envisioned it as a continuous communication hub. The concept is that various people interact within the Lab, continuously creating new robots. This makes it easy for robot ventures to apply and supports our goal of sustained communication.

This project, based on the Japanese government's "Reform 2020" initiative through public-private collaboration, achieved significant ripple effects by being conducted at an airport—a highly visible public facility. We approached it as a project valuable to both large corporations and robotics startups. Simultaneously conducting multiple robot proof-of-concept experiments in a public facility with people present was highly significant, resulting in extensive media coverage.

Guide robots conversing with each other while guiding passengers

Shimizu: The 17 companies (teams) selected this time each possess unique technologies, and the fact that operators could interact with each other was a major achievement. Seeing operators struggle because they didn't understand airport operations made us realize they had different perspectives. Proposing solutions to them led to numerous new ideas and collaborations. Testing in the open airport environment also revealed uses for the robots that differed from their original intended purposes.

What was fascinating was the emergence of the idea: Could robots collaborate with each other? Previously, both businesses and we focused on what a single robot could do. But experimenting in a public space allowed us to transcend business boundaries. The sight of guide robots conversing while guiding passengers was something unthinkable at exhibitions or events. Proposals even emerged for robots to collaborate with each other.

Nakajima: There's also the idea of robots handing off tasks to each other. For example, a cleaning robot could pass information to a security robot. I think we could develop a larger robot ecosystem unit. Now that you mention it, such a world is easy to imagine. But the fact that we could actually start considering collaboration in this context, where no one had seen such a scenario before, is one of the achievements of this proof-of-concept experiment. If this leads to new businesses or initiatives, it will contribute to the future vitality of the Haneda Robotics Lab.

Shimizu: We can envision services leveraging the unique strengths of robots. For example, a highly communicative guide robot could receive a customer inquiry about restaurants, recommend suitable options, and even complete the reservation. We also discussed how seamless service could be achieved through robots: even if a roaming concierge is unavailable, a robot capable of wayfinding and guidance could take over and escort the customer.

I still believe robots are substitutes, and nothing surpasses human-provided service. I had assumed robots resembling humans more closely would elicit better customer reactions. Surprisingly, however, many people kept their distance from humanoid-like designs. Robots with more robotic shapes and curves tended to be perceived as more approachable, making customers more likely to speak to them casually. We also discovered through testing that for robots enabling video calls with operators, customers actually accepted the robot's image more readily than a live person.

Nakajima: Our team is also conducting numerous case studies on Human Machine Interface. In that sense, observing people's reactions in a high-traffic location like an airport is fascinating. So-called "weak robots" seem easier to approach; people feel compelled to compensate for the robot's imperfections. Conversely, interacting with humans can sometimes induce tension, as people feel they must behave appropriately as humans. I believe this is an area we need to continue building upon.