An artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robot, the Sanbot, is being used by customs workers at the Gongbei Port of Entry in China.
Since October, Officials have been using 50 Sanbot units in order to ensure improve security, efficiency and customer experience at the busy immigration and customs terminal between Macau and mainland China. In 2013, more than 99 million people were apparently processed through the border terminal.
Designed and built by the Chinese CCTV surveillance equipment manufacturer QIHAN Technology Company, Sanbots are service robots powered by a cloud-enabled app ecosystem designed to be deployed in a wide variety of settings including retail stores, schools and hospitals. The company calls this “Robotics-as-a-service”.
Benefitting from Sanbot
It’s precisely the Sanbot cloud platform that makes it unique, according to QIHAN. This is the technology that enables customs officials at Gongbei to equip their units with the functionality to answer passengers’ questions in 28 different languages, perform facial recognition to help detect potential security threats, and alert human workers of questions and tasks beyond its capabilities.
“With thousands of travelers passing through each day, Gongbei Customs is always looking for new solutions to help us ensure that service is fast and our borders remain secure – Sanbot fit that mold perfectly,” said Zhao Min, director of Gongbei Customs.
“Working with QIHAN, we were able to create the perfect version of Sanbot for our needs. Travelers who interact with Sanbot are left with a memorable experience that makes their time at Gongbei more enjoyable and more efficient.”
Zhuang Yongjun, chief technology officer at QIHAN, said: “We truly believe that robots like Sanbot have the potential to change how service industries operate – and that includes helping customs workers operate and secure ports around the globe. By equipping Sanbot with an incredibly powerful, cloud-based development platform, QIHAN has been able to allow our partners at Gongbei Customs to tailor Sanbot’s capabilities and behaviors to the needs of their specific use case.”