Genoa, two robots will welcome visitors at the ticket office of Palazzo Ducale

From Monday Constantine and Constantine will be active: they will provide information and also play with children

Genoa – Shortly after Serena Bertolucci, director of Palazzo Ducale, took the floor to talk about the initiative, she was interrupted by Costantina. A robot about five feet tall who with a slightly metallic voice and eyes lit like headlights says: “Excuse me, but before any speech I would like to introduce myself.” And so she does, surprising everyone and explaining better than anyone else the role that she and “her brother” Costantino will have from Monday in the “house of Genoese culture” when they dedicate themselves to welcoming and entertaining visitors.

Costa Cruises Foundation donated two humanoids to the Palazzo Ducale Foundation with the shared goal of encourage the promotion and digitization of cultural heritage of the territory. A leap into the future for the hospitality sector in the museum sector. Fundamental, for the success of the project, the contribution of Madlab 2.0 and the School of Robotics which allowed, after a four-year experimentation, to create the software suitable for Peppers to be immersed in a cultural environment.

Manufactured by SoftBank Robotics and designed to interact with humans, these robots are capable of converse, understand and react to emotions, move independently and recognize voices. “Costantino and Costantina can propose six different activities related to the discovery of the exhibits on display, provide information on scheduled events, lead visitors to the discovery of the Doge’s Palace and make them aware of the safety rules to follow” underlines Emanuele Micheli, engineer of Madlab 2.0 and president of the School of Robotics “In addition, the two robots are programmed to involve visitors in games, such as treasure hunts and quizzes, and to propose taking a souvenir selfie together”. Palazzo Ducale looks to tomorrow just like other national and international places of culture.

“It is a way of providing knowledge captivating and immediate which starts from the Ducal, but which has infinite possibilities for expansion ”, anticipates Ilaria Cavo, Councilor for Culture of the Liguria Region.

Interactions and visits with robots have been adopted by the Oiron Castle museum in Mont Saint-Michel, by the National Museum Australia, by the Mudec in Milan or in various Piedmontese museum spaces where Virgil, one of the first robots that allows visitors to take an interactive tour, was run free It is customized.

«A Foundation that deals with culture must necessarily have the courage to face all the languages ​​of communication»Underlines Serena Bertolucci, director of Palazzo Ducale« The robots, from Monday afternoon, will be operational at the ticket office. They will provide information on the exhibitions, tell about the scheduled events, the museums of Genoa and will also be ready to play with the children ». In fact, seeing Constantine dancing with his hands in the sky can only bring a good mood.

But in the future the Peppers could they replace man? «I started working with these robots several years ago at Palazzo Reale, but only occasionally while this time, thanks to the donation of the Costa Crociere Foundation, they will be on a permanent basis» continues Bertolucci «They are humanoids to assist, not replacements. This is the case in all the museums that use them. They provide information, help visitors with disabilities, contribute to visiting tours, but never replace the man. And it is difficult to think that in the future they will succeed because humanity and the warmth of the story of a human guide cannot be replaced ».

The Peppers they are activated whenever a person is in their vicinity, drawing their attention with their eyes and small movements, ready to interact in Italian or English. “With this initiative we further strengthen the relationship that has always linked us to Genoa, favoring the enjoyment and promotion of the cultural heritage of the city in a fun and creative way” says Davide Triacca, Sustainability Director of Costa Cruises. these robots and we firmly believe that they can fulfill very important support functions for the public ».