Shiro-Neko, A Stationmaster Robot that Operates an Unmanned Station

Abstract

In recent years, Japan has seen a declining birthrate and an aging population. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain public transportation in rural areas. In order to reduce maintenance costs, railroad stations are becoming increasingly unmanned. Unmanned stations have a variety of security and safety issues. These are problems that must be solved. Therefore, we are considering the installing of stationmaster robots. In Japan, stationmaster robots are being installed at large stations in central Tokyo to assist people. However, installation at unmanned stations has not progressed. The reason is that many people in rural areas are elderly and unfamiliar with IT. Therefore, we have devised a way to lower the threshold and are studying the introduction of stationmaster robots. For example, we have devised ways to make the robot more approachable, such as using colors to give the weather forecast for the next few hours, or giving casual greetings. The functions to be provided are: tourist information, weather forecasts, event announcements, emergency notifications, explanations on how to buy boarding tickets, boarding ticket purchases, boarding ticket gate operations, and notification of train departure and arrival times.