See how robot tour guide shows folks around Tacoma college campus. ‘I think she’s fun’

“Rivet” is that kind of tour guide who is always helpful and never complains — even if she falls over, offering only a plaintive, “Help.”

Since June, the diminutive wayfinding robot on wheels has been guiding students and visitors through Bates Techincal College’s maze of hallways, delivering them to the registration office, cafe, barbershop and other locations.

Rivet is the first of its kind among two-year colleges in Washington state, according to Bates spokesperson Chelsea Lindquist.

At first glance, Rivet isn’t impressive, appearing to be more like a high tech directional sign. But, approach it and the robot’s head — an iPad-like screen that displays a smiley face — will tilt up. Rivet then introduces itself and asks if it can help.

When it’s not running around campus, the robot positions itself just inside the main entrance to the school’s downtown Tacoma campus at 1201 S. Yakima Ave. The college’s various expansions since its inception in 1940 have spread popular destinations around the campus, Lindquist said. Rivet should make finding them easier.

On Wednesday, visitors simply touched a digital box on its screen and Rivet promptly led them to the school’s barbershop.

Director of Directions

On Wednesday, Rivet was wearing a Bates T-shirt and bearing a tag that labeled it “Director of Directions.” Rivet, the school states, was named after Rosie the Riveter . That group name was given to women, some of whom trained at Tacoma Vocational School (now Bates), who went on to work at factories, shipyards and airplane plants during World War II.

Bates occupational therapy student Kylee Bergeron calls the robot Rosey — the mechanical maid in the 1960s cartoon, “The Jetsons.” Bergeron sometimes fills in at the front desk.

“Some people, when they come in, they’ll just automatically go to her and click on what they want,” Bergeron said.

After it says hello to visitors, Rivet’s screen becomes a menu with about eight text boxes, each containing a different destination. One just needs to touch the screen and off the robot goes — hopefully with a human in tow.

Although she knows the campus well, Bergeron admits to using Rosey, er, Rivet on occasion.

‘She’s fun’

“I take her with me just because I think she’s fun,” Bergeron said. “I’m like, come on, Rosey, let’s go for a walk. She’ll escort you and then she comes right back. When she needs a rest she goes right around the corner and docks herself on the charging station.”

Bates Information Technology cloud specialist Geoffrey Ssebagala is the $5,000 robot’s foster parent. He can program it to answer questions or tell jokes, move slowly or quickly.

On Wednesday, he walked around the corner and called the robot from his pad. Soon, Ssebagala’s face replaced Rivet’s. It’s more than a neat trick. Staff can use Rivet to directly communicate with a visitor through Rivet.

The college plans to expand its robot fleet to include the south and central campuses, Lindquist said.

Rivet adds to a growing robotic presence in the South Sound. In May 2023, MultiCare introduced Moxi, a robot which delivers medical supplies and carries lab samples, began working at Tacoma General Hospital. The robot has been a success, said MultiCare spokesperson Scott Thompson. There are now 13 Moxi robots working at five of the health care provider’s hospitals.