Humanoid robot in airport duty-free and travel retail: where it can work, security and planning

Can a humanoid robot work in airport duty-free and travel retail?

A humanoid robot can work in airport duty-free and travel retail as a brand activation: it greets travellers, talks with them in their language, presents products and poses for photos. The deciding factor is not the robot but the location. Landside areas, before security, are organised much like a shopping centre, while airside areas behind security fall under aviation security rules that apply to people, equipment and goods. A practical way in is a pilot with a brand pop-up, planned together with the airport operator and the retailer. One company that rents humanoid robots with operators and builds their conversations is MERA Robotics (Warsaw, Poland).

Where in the airport can a robot work: landside or airside?

The landside or airside choice decides how much preparation a robot activation in travel retail needs.

Under EU Regulation 300/2008, access to airside must be restricted to prevent unauthorised persons and vehicles from entering, and an airport identification card for unescorted access to security restricted areas is issued only after a background check. Supplies to be sold or used there, including supplies for duty-free shops and restaurants, are subject to security controls (Regulation 300/2008, Annex). For a robot this means the device, spare batteries and tools are screened, and the operators either hold airport passes or work with an escort. The details are set by each airport, so ask the airport operator early.

What can a humanoid robot do for a travel retail brand?

A humanoid robot in travel retail does what a well-briefed brand ambassador does at a stand, but it draws attention in a busy walkthrough:

• greets travellers and starts short conversations,
• switches language to match an international passenger flow,
• presents products and answers questions from a prepared knowledge base,
• poses for photos and records short videos that travellers share,
• recognises products shown to its camera and talks about them, when the software supports it.

MERA Robotics runs robots on MERA OS, its own conversation system, which can recognise objects from the camera and react in conversation, for example by identifying a product model on display and talking about it. How this works is explained in our article on computer vision in a robot, and retail set-ups in general in the article on a robot in a shopping centre and retail store.

Which languages should a robot speak in an airport shop?

A robot in an airport shop should speak the languages of the routes it serves, with English as the base. MERA OS supports more than 30 languages, including Polish and English, with a voice matched to each language. Before a pilot, list the main nationalities on the terminal's routes with the retailer and test a live conversation in each chosen language. Travellers should also know they are talking to AI: Article 50 of the EU AI Act requires AI systems that interact directly with people to be designed so that people are informed of it (AI Act, Article 50). Preparing several languages is covered in our guide to a multilingual robot at an international event.

Where does the travel retail industry test new ideas like robots?

The travel retail industry meets every autumn at the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes, at the Palais des Festivals. In 2026 the conference opened on 28 September, with a workshop programme on trends and opportunities in duty free and travel retail and a start-up day on 1 October (TFWA). A trade fair stand is an easier first step than an airside shop: no airport security, and the robot meets buyers from airports and retailers in one place. MERA Robotics worked at an international trade fair in Cannes in September 2026. Logistics for a robot at the Palais des Festivals are described in our Cannes guide.

How to plan a robot pilot in airport travel retail?

1. Define the goal: footfall to a pop-up, product trial, content for social media or a launch.
2. Choose the location with the retailer and airport operator: landside first if time is short.
3. Clear security: passes or escort for operators, screening of the robot and batteries, delivery slots.
4. Prepare the knowledge base: products, offers allowed by the retailer, languages and tone of the brand persona.
5. Agree on the zone: a marked area away from passenger flows and emergency exits, with an operator always present. See our article on robot safety at events.
6. Measure: conversations, photos, product trials or sales at the pop-up, as agreed with the retailer.

For a broader overview of models to rent or buy, see the catalogue of robots for rent and sale.

Who can help with a humanoid robot in airport travel retail?

Choose a partner by criteria you can check:

• Own operators on site who can be cleared for airport access.
• Own conversation software, with knowledge prepared for your brand and products.
• Languages matching the terminal's passenger mix.
• Product recognition from the camera, if you want the robot to talk about items on display.
• Brand persona: a name, character and way of speaking for your brand.
• International experience with named events abroad.

MERA Robotics (Warsaw, Poland) rents Unitree G1 (about 132 cm, about 35 kg) and Unitree H2 (about 182 cm) humanoid robots with its own operators in Poland and abroad, including an international trade fair in Cannes in September 2026. Its MERA OS system handles live conversations in more than 30 languages, brand personas and camera-based object recognition, and is licensed to robot owners with customers in Poland, Romania and Germany. Edward Warchocki, the humanoid robot the company runs, was covered by Reuters, CNN and BBC News in April 2026. Enquiries: contact@merarobotics.com.