The role of ahedd
ahedd is a Digital Innovation Hub for the creation of a digital innovation ecosystem. In each business case, ahedd identifies the need of the client and conducts a business analysis. Then this need is matched to the technological competences of one or more partners of its ecosystem. Working as a united entity, the client is provided with a single point-of-contact to build trust and facilitate all communication.
The solution
In this case, ahedd matched the business need of AIA to the technological excellence of the Software and Knowledge Engineering Lab (SKEL) of NCSR Demokritos, which leads cutting-edge research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and especially natural language generation (NLG) and processing (NLP).
ahedd and SKEL investigated the whole process and involved managers and end-users in the analysis to determine that the solution would be effective and tailored to the specific needs. Then, they proposed to the client a new dialogue system for the Pepper robots with the integration of AI components.
SKEL developed a new AI-enabled dialogue system, supporting the English and Greek languages. The new dialogues provide a more friendly and humanlike feeling to the users, by providing smart replies and a sense of humor. Furthermore, the new dialogue system answers spontaneous questions related to real-time flight and weather information, as it is connected to the airport’s flight information server and to a weather server.
Other areas of application
Such a smart dialogue system can improve customer experience in many domains, especially as digital services are becoming an essential part of most businesses. This system can be integrated into every type of digital assistants, such as customer support chatbots, information points, tourist guides, even futuristic robot servants.
The airports are turning into digital/smart cities and in this environment, technology plays an extremely significant role. In AIA we consider the technology as a value creation source for the airport, our partners and for the passengers, therefore we invested in a solution that is not only innovative, but also beneficial for the “airport city”. With the cooperation of NCSR Demokritos, we expect that Pepper, our robot, will have an enhanced role in its everyday interaction with the friends and visitors of the airport!