Yahoo Finance Hyundai rolls out adorable customer service robot for its showrooms
Maybe it's cute enough to sell a few cars.
In an effort to offer assistance without any unnecessary human interaction, Hyundai has unveiled the DAL-e, a new customer service robot that is both adorable yet functional. It debuted today in a Hyundai Motor showroom in southern Seoul in a pilot operation. The company says part of the purpose behind DAL-e is to accommodate customers who’d like to reduce human contact during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DAL-e is an acronym for “Drive you, Assist you, Link with you-experience,” and the robot is equipped with “state-of-the-art artificial intelligence” designed to deliver a friendly customer service experience. It has facial recognition plus a language-comprehension platform that should allow it to communicate with potential customers.
According to Hyundai, this means that the robot can recognize when someone has entered the showroom without wearing a mask, and can then advise them to wear one. The company says that the DAL-e’s short humanoid form exudes a “welcoming appeal” with emotive physical features coupled with smooth dialogue.
The DAL-e can also move around, potentially accompanying customers around the showroom, thanks to four omnidirectional wheels. There’s a touchscreen display located on the top of its head where you can find out more information about certain vehicles, and the DAL-e can also wirelessly connect to a large display at the venue. Amusingly, the DAL-e can even ask visitors to take selfies with it.
If the pilot operation is successful, the company hopes to deploy more DAL-e robots at other showrooms of Hyundai and Kia.
