Humanoid robots started introducing sightseeing spots in Yokohama to visitors at the observation deck of the Landmark Tower on Tuesday.

Able to speak in English and Chinese as well as Japanese, the EMIEW 3 robots, developed in April 2016 by Hitachi Ltd., are expected to be welcomed by foreign visitors who want to know places to visit in the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture.

Each robot is 90 centimeters tall and moves around freely using four wheels. EMIEW stands for Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Workmate, Hitachi said.

Equipped with 14 microphones, the EMIEW 3 is able to communicate with people even in a crowded area by using artificial intelligence and other technologies.

The robot went through trials at many facilities, including providing people with help on train routes at Tokyo Station, to expand its functions, such as language processing.

It was the first time for the robot to be formally introduced to a facility.

Four units of the EMIEW 3 were assigned to work at the Landmark Tower’s observation deck on the 69th floor, a popular tourist destination attracting 30 million visitors every year.

Osamu Murata, head of the Yokohama branch of Mitsubishi Estate Co., which manages the tower, said he hopes the robots provide customers with a fun time and expand support for inbound tourists.Speech