A man who boarded a Southwest Airlines in
the United States with his humanoid robot has forced the airline to reconsider
its policy to allow robots on board.
The robot – his owner calls him Stewie –
was travelling from Las Vegas to Dallas and, according to CBS News, had been
allowed through airport security because the small battery he was fitted with
complied with regulations.
The 1.06m robot walked freely through the
airport concourse to the boarding gate, surprising cabin crew by making its way
unaided to a window seat, which had been purchased separately by the robot’s
owner through the option of buying a seat for fragile items such as musical
instruments.
Following the trip, Southwest announced a
new policy: it would no longer permit human-like or animal-like robots in the
cabin, or as checked baggage, regardless of the size or purpose of the
equipment.
This was done to ensure the airline
complied with all lithium-ion battery safety guidelines, a Southwest
spokesperson said.
The robot, which can speak through its
programmed voice, apparently made no comment on the ban.