Osaka Metro tests humanoid robot station attendant powered by Gemini AI

Osaka Metro, in collaboration with KDDI and AVITA, has launched a demonstration experiment featuring a humanoid robot station attendant named ‘Hinata’. The trial, running from August 31 to September 15, 2026, is being conducted at Metro Opus locations in Umeda and Tanimachi Kyuchome stations.

Powered by Google’s Gemini generative AI, the 178cm tall humanoid is designed to provide station guidance, transfer information, and local tourism tips. Unlike traditional screen-based AI avatars, this ‘physical AI’ aims to improve engagement, particularly with elderly passengers who may find it easier to interact with a human-like figure. The robot can communicate in 60 languages and can display QR codes on a built-in display for users to scan and access detailed maps on their smartphones.

The humanoid’s design is based on work by Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro of Osaka University, who also produced the ‘Future of Life’ pavilion for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. The experiment seeks to test the demand, user acceptance, and operational challenges of integrating humanoid robots into public transit infrastructure to assist with repetitive tasks, allowing human staff to focus on more complex safety and assistance duties.