Robots take on visitor service at China’s Chimelong Spaceship Park

Over 300 robots join park operations

Can service and hospitality do without humans? AGIBOT, a Chinese company working in general-purpose robotics and embodied AI, and Chimelong Group, a Chinese tourism and leisure operator, have joined forces to put robots to work at Chimelong Spaceship Park in Zhuhai, in China’s Guangdong province. 

The rollout marks a first operational phase in a project aimed at rethinking the visitor experience through robotics.

AGIBOT, which also says its 20,000th robot has rolled off its production line, is providing more than 300 units for the park. 

The robots are grouped into several categories: shows and entertainment, guided tours, visitor services, hotel services and sports activities.

The robots can also co-ordinate inside and outside the park thanks to a dedicated 5G-A network deployed with the support of China Mobile. 

A centralised co-ordination system manages the robots across different environments around the park and its hotels.

Beyond cooking, martial arts or tai chi demonstrations, the partners say they want robots integrated across the full visitor journey rather than confined to occasional showcases. 

The set-up is intended to test a model for integrating embodied AI into a complex tourism destination, with operational functions that demand a degree of co-ordination, such as information provision, wayfinding and hotel welcomes.