Ontario Regiment Museum partners with Intel to launch AI virtual assistant

The Ontario Regiment Museum has partnered with Intel to launch an AI-powered virtual assistant for its reopening on August 15th.

The assistant, which is named “Master Corporal Lana,” will greet visitors, provide contactless check-in, scan temperatures and ensure that the visitors are following COVID-19 health guidelines.

Lana will then thank visitors for coming to the museum and then help them keep in touch with all of the latest activities at the museum.

The virtual assistant was originally designed by Toronto-based AI startup CloudConstable. Lana was then reconfigured with Intel RealSense and AI technology to enable the safe return of volunteers who keep the museum and vehicles operating.

CloudConstable relied on the Intel RealSense team’s insight that Lana’s existing capabilities could be extended to include safer COVID-19 screening solutions.

“Intel RealSense technology is used to develop products that enrich people’s lives by enabling machines and devices to perceive the world in 3D. CloudConstable leverages Intel’s technology to help create a state-of-the-art natural voice and vision interface with touchless, self-service COVID-19 screening,” said Joel Hagberg, the head of product management and marketing at Intel’s RealSense group, in a press release.

The team added an Intel NUC 9 Pro with Intel Active Management Technology to allow Lana to take temperatures via thermal scans and ask a series of questions to assess COVID-19 risk and exposure.

“Regular maintenance is crucial, even during the worst of the pandemic, which is why we turned to CloudConstable and Intel to help build an autonomous solution,” said Jeremy Blower, the executive director of the Ontario Regiment Museum in a press release.

The Ontario Regiment Museum houses North America’s largest collection of operational military vehicles, many dating back to the 1940s.

Image credit: Ontario Regiment Museum