Humanoid robots will work as baggage handlers at Tokyo airport - Engadget

Do you ever feel like you're living in the early chapters of a dystopian sci-fi story? As if AI, mass surveillance, and the increasing concentration of wealth weren't enough, now we have freakin' robots to contend with. And these things always start out appearing harmless, right? That's the backdrop of Japan Airlines' (JAL) decision to deploy androids to help its human baggage handlers. The humanoid robots will be part of a test that kicks off in May (via The Guardian), moving luggage and cargo at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. At a JAL press event this week, a droid was seen gently nudging cargo onto a conveyor belt and waving to a human coworker. At another point, it shook hands with another human colleague, which illustrated its size: It's only 4 feet, 3 inches tall. (Danny DeVito has seven inches on that tin man!) The androids can operate for two to three hours per charge. The trial will roll out in several phases, so the androids won't be doing live work right away. First, JAL will map and analyze airport conditions to identify where they can work safely alongside people. Then, the robots will undergo test runs in simulated airport environments before eventually joining human workers