Automatically translates Japanese, English, and Chinese     Japanese robot guide available for rent at Haneda Airport in April

▲Japan launches tourism robot RoBoHoN (Photo /robohon.com)

Text by Rita

Japanese railway company Keikyu and electronics firm Sharp will launch a robot-shaped mobile phone rental service, primarily targeting overseas travelers.

According to The Japan Times, the tourism robot RoBoHoN, besides having regular mobile phone functions and photo capabilities, can also automatically translate into Japanese, English, and Chinese. This new service, released by Sharp last year, will be available for rent at Tokyo Haneda Airport starting this April. In addition to providing real-time location updates, it also offers voice-guided tours of attractions—very convenient. Travelers no longer need to rely on others, and may even need to do less pre-trip research.

The project leader stated that they hope the RoBoHoN robot can help travelers experience Japanese culture. Those interested in renting the robot can book in advance.The rental location is inside Haneda Airport’s terminal. The pricing is ¥1,500 (approx. NT$500) for 24 hours; ¥3,000 (approx. NT$1,000) for 48 hours; ¥4,000 (approx. NT$1,333) for 72 hours, with an additional ¥500 for every extra 12 hours.