Robot Guide Helps Visitors Explore Bremerhaven

Students from the local university have transformed a small, friendly robot into a helpful tour guide for tourists in Bremerhaven.
The project, called PepperMINT, repurposes a four‑foot robot named Pepper to answer questions and read body language. The city welcomed the idea, seeing it as a way to make travel more engaging.

How PepperMINT Works

• Guiding Tourists
  Pepper can lead people around the busy cruise terminal, showing them how to reach the city center and helping with shore‑in procedures.

• Interactive QR Codes
  Visitors can scan QR codes that Pepper displays on its screen to learn more about nearby attractions or the university.

• Natural Interaction
  The robot uses a language model to speak and waves or nods when answering questions, creating a more natural experience.

Personality Design

Pepper’s personality is built from a set of detailed system prompts that:

• Make it act like a friendly tour expert
• Restrict answers to topics about Bremerhaven, the university, and an annual Computer Science Day
• Keep a calm but firm tone

When asked about topics outside these areas, Pepper politely says it only knows about local matters.

Technical Challenges

• Legacy Hardware
  Built ten years ago, Pepper cannot recognize individual visitors. Students merged its old operating system with newer software to:
• Move safely
• Avoid obstacles

• Follow voice commands

• Performance Limits
  Tests show Pepper can provide useful information but struggles when many people speak at once. This limitation makes it less suitable for very busy events unless its programming is expanded.

Next Steps

The next step is to test Pepper in the real environment of the cruise terminal. If it works well, tourists could enjoy a more interactive and friendly way to navigate the city and discover local highlights.