Menu
Events and Attractions

Nearest restroom? Ask Pepper

Tucked away deep inside the U.S. Open Tennis Championships’ Arthur Ashe Stadium may well be the customer service hero that sporting events have been looking for: a 3 1/2-foot white robot named Pepper.

IBM technicians with the robot Pepper at the U.S. Open
Photo by: DANIEL KAPLAN / STAFF
A chief complaint from fans at big events is the frequent inability to get their questions answered by staff. Robots like Pepper — which handled questions like where to get drinks and where to find the nearest bathroom from nearly 1,500 IBM clients during the tournament — could be populating events soon, ready with responses to queries of all kinds.

“If you walk around out there, people have seen it probably 100 times. They go up to people [and say], ‘Where can I get a schedule?’ and there is like a security guy and he’s like, ‘I don’t know, I am a security guy,’” said Noah Syken, vice president of global sponsorships for sports and entertainment and client programs at IBM. “But if you can put human assistants,” as Syken referred to the robots, “around the ground that can interact with me the way you would,” that would solve that issue.

“There might be a time in the world where these kinds of assistants are more pervasive around the grounds,” he said. And imagining the robot response to the schedule question, Syken added, “‘Oh the schedule is over there, take 15 steps that way.’” The robot can use its arms to motion, and even mimic emotions.

Syken described this year’s Open as the first large-scale use of IBM’s artificial intelligence system Watson, the technology running the robot, to aid fans at a sporting event. There have been limited deployments previously, such as at this year’s Masters golf tournament.

Through the U.S. Open app, fans could input questions ranging from directions to food choices, answered by Watson. More than 40,000 questions were asked in the first nine days. The answers are specific to where the person is located, so if a questioner walking in the southern end of the venue wants to know where to get coffee, the answer will be a nearby spot rather than one far to the north.

The app repeats what IBM and technology partner Satisfi have launched in Macy’s in New York, where customers can input into an online web tool questions about where to find merchandise. Satisfi also works in tandem with IBM at the Open.

But IBM, an Open sponsor since 1992, sees the tournament app as a short-term solution.

“We actually believe there are a lot of different ways humans will interact with systems in the future,” Syken said. “Today it is laptops, mobile phones, the iPads, etc. But a robot like Pepper … is another form of input to a cognitive system.”

IBM is the official technology provider for each of tennis’ four Grand Slams. In fact, IBM officials met with representatives of Wimbledon during the U.S. Open to feature Pepper and the cognitive Watson technology.

In addition to tennis, IBM has sponsorships in golf with the Masters and the U.S. Golf Association. IBM also has deals with the Toronto Raptors, the Atlanta Falcons and the club’s new stadium, and the Vancouver Canucks.

So how far is Pepper from deployment? As early as next year in suites, Syken said, where it can help VIPs with their questions. Ambient noise now presents a problem, so widespread use on the grounds or highly populated areas of sporting events may take more time.

Rob High, IBM’s vice president and chief technology officer for Watson, emphasized that the robots are not designed to replace people but to supplement them. He pointed to the use of one in a McLean, Va., Hilton as a concierge working alongside other hotel staff.

IBM used Watson to help the U.S. Open with two other functions. The cognitive technology system was taught the faces of more than 25,000 players and celebrities, so it could instantly identity them for photos uploaded to the U.S. Open website. Rather than have a person manually input the information, the names automatically appear.

And second, Watson transcribed the broadcast streams, so for the first time viewers could choose to read the words of the commentators. Asked whether one day Watson might replace the commentators, as had been reported, Syken wrote in a follow-up email that this is not the plan.

“We prefer to consider how these capabilities can offer humans assistance to make for a richer broadcast — versus replacing a commentator outright,” he wrote. “For smaller events with no commentary today — then this could certainly be valuable. But hard to replace the texture that John McEnroe brings to the table in a live match.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2016/09/12/Events-and-Attractions/US-Open-IBM-robot.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2016/09/12/Events-and-Attractions/US-Open-IBM-robot.aspx

CLOSE