The malls of Abu Dhabi are bracing for a remarkable new ambassador – REEM, an imposing life-size robot vanguard poised to redefine the realms of guest services and interactive guidance.
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PAL Robotics’ REEM Poised to Bring Robotics Marvels to Abu Dhabi’s Malls
Developed by PAL Robotics, a subsidiary of the UAE’s deep-pocketed Royal Group conglomerate, REEM represents the vanguard of an audacious AED 73.6 million (€200,000 per unit) initiative to introduce advanced robotics assistants across the emirate’s preeminent retail and entertainment destinations.
Equipped with an intricate navigation system, facial recognition capabilities, and a user-friendly touchscreen interface, the towering automaton is designed to function as an indefatigable concierge – guiding patrons, conducting video calls, conveying luggage and parcels via its integrated platform.
The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center will serve as the debut deployment for REEM’s pioneering cohort, with PAL Robotic’sFactory slated to commence full operations by June, manufacturing an initial 12 units monthly to seed this ambitious rollout.
While the substantial per-unit expenditure has catalyzed whispers of fiscal impropriety among critics, PAL Robotics clearly aims to position REEM as the embodied apotheosis of the UAE’s ceaseless drive towards technological preeminence and world-class customer service standards.
“Imagine one day you get really frustrated by these ‘inhuman’ robots and scream ‘Enough is enough, I want to see your manager’,” quipped one wry observer, underscoring the unprecedented human-robot interactions awaiting Abu Dhabi’s residents and visitors alike.
Yet beneath the levity lies a profound question – in a region where human labor remains abundantly available, can REEM’s computerized marvels indeed outshine the personal touch of its fleshy customer service counterparts? PAL Robotics’ stratospheric investment posits an affirmative, if initially daunting, answer.
