Japanese humanoid mini-robot to work as tour guide

Tokyo, Sep 11 (IANS) A Japanese humanoid mini-robot called Robohon will work as a tour guide in Kyoto through a new service offered by city taxis to cope with the growing number of foreigners visiting the country.

The service, which will be available from September 22 to March 31, 2019, will allow travellers to buy a tour in which the robot will be their guide and acquaint them with local history among other things, said the robot's creator Sharp in a statement on Tuesday.

The package is a joint initiative by Sharp, taxi operator MK and JTB travel agency. It will offer Japanese, Chinese and English language services, Efe news reported.

In addition to listening to the robot while in the taxi, customers can get out of the vehicle with Robohon, which is 19.5 cm tall and weighs 390 grams.

Between January and July, Japan received 18,730,900 foreign tourists, 13.9 per cent more inter-annually during the same period in 2017, according to figures of the Japan National Tourism Organization.

Kyoto was last year's fourth favourite destination for travellers after Tokyo, Osaka and Chiba.

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