Call him Connie, but Hilton’s new robot receptionist is powered by IBM’s Watson

By Lulu Chang March 9, 2016

You no longer have to journey to Japan for a high-tech hotel experience — now, you can have a robot as a concierge in a Hilton hotel. On Wednesday, Hilton and IBM announced a collaboration that will bring a Watson-powered robot concierge into hotel lobbies across the United States. Named “Connie” after founder Conrad Hilton, this digital diva based off the Nao robot is the first Watson-enabled automaton to enter the hospitality industry, and IBM promises that she will “inform guests on local tourist attractions, dining recommendations, and hotel features and amenities.”

While Connie won’t replace your human hotel staff, she’s meant to somewhat lighten the load, assisting with visitor requests, personalizing the guest experience, and empowering travelers with the information they need to fully plan and enjoy their trips. Taking advantage of a number of Watson technologies, Connie utilizes Watson’s Dialog, Speech to Text, Text to Speech, and Natural Language Classifier APIs to interact with guests in as natural a way as possible. And thanks to its WayBlazer integration, the robot is also able to provide local dining recommendations, tourist attractions, and more.

Like any good assistant, Connie learns through experience — the more she’s able to interact with guests, the better advice she’s able to give.

“We’re focused on reimagining the entire travel experience to make it smarter, easier, and more enjoyable for guests,” said Jonathan Wilson, Hilton Worldwide’s vice president of product innovation and brand services, in a related statement. “By tapping into innovative partners like IBM Watson, we’re wowing our guests in the most unpredictable ways.”

For its part, IBM notes that Connie is a new foray into human-machine interaction. Rob High, IBM fellow and vice president and chief technology officer of IBM Watson, said, “Watson helps Connie understand and respond naturally to the needs and interests of Hilton’s guests — which is an experience that’s particularly powerful in a hospitality setting, where it can lead to deeper guest engagement.”

So if you’re interested in checking Connie out, head over to the Hilton McLean in Virginia, and see for yourself what a robot concierge can do for you.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Mobile

4 simple pieces of tech that helped me run my first marathon

Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar displaying pace information.

The fitness world is littered with opportunities to buy tech aimed at enhancing your physical performance. No matter your sport of choice or personal goals, there's a deep rabbit hole you can go down. It'll cost plenty of money, but the gains can be marginal -- and can honestly just be a distraction from what you should actually be focused on. Running is certainly susceptible to this.

A few months ago, I ran my first-ever marathon. It was an incredible accomplishment I had no idea I'd ever be able to reach, and it's now going to be the first of many I run in my lifetime. And despite my deep-rooted history in tech, and the endless opportunities for being baited into gearing myself up with every last product to help me get through the marathon, I went with a rather simple approach.

Emerging Tech

This bracelet helps you fall asleep faster and sleep longer

woman-in-bed-wearing-twilight-apollo-on-ankle

This content was produced in partnership with Apollo Neuroscience.
Have you been struggling to get the recommended seven hours of sleep? It's always frustrating when you get in bed at a reasonable time, then toss and turn for a hours before you actually sleep. The quality of that sleep is important too. If you're waking up multiple times during the night, you're likely not getting the quality REM cycle sleep that truly rejuvenates your body. If traditional remedies like herbal teas and noise machines just aren't helping, maybe it's time to try a modern solution. Enter the Apollo wearable.

Now we understand being a little skeptical. How can a bracelet on your wrist or ankle affect your sleep patterns? Certainly the answer to a better night's sleep can't be so simple. We considered these same things when we first heard of it. We'll dive deeper into the science behind the Apollo wearable, but suffice it to say that many people have experienced deeper, uninterrupted sleep while wearing one.
A non-conventional approach to better sleep

Deals

The 11 best Father’s Day deals that you can get for Sunday

Data from a workout showing on the screen of the Apple Watch Series 8.

Father's Day is fast approaching and there's still time to buy your beloved Dad a sweet new device to show him how much you love him. That's why we've rounded up the ten best Father's Day tech deals going on right now. There's something for most budgets here, including if you're able to spend a lot on your loved one. Read on while we take you through the highlights and remember to order fast so you don't miss out on the big day.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 -- $200, was $230

While it's the Plus version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 that features in our look at the best tablets, the standard variety is still worth checking out. Saving your Dad the need to dig out their laptop or squint at a small phone screen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 offers a large 10.5-inch LCD display and all the useful features you would expect. 128GB of storage means plenty of room for all your Dad's favorite apps as well as games too. A long-lasting battery and fast charging save him the need for a power source too often too.