SCARBOROUGH, Maine–Town & Country Federal Credit Union has introduced a new “employee,” a robot named Pepper that can not only engage in small talk with members but also sing and dance.
Pepper, produced by SoftBank Robotics in Japan and equipped with a touch screen and long, flexible arms capable of giving high-fives like any real person, is based in the credit union’s new technology hub it calls Collab:TECH by Town & Country FCU.
The CU Daily first reported on the Collab:TECH branch here.
The 3,400-square-foot leased space, located in a former tile store, aims to offer the $610-million Town & Country members and others an opportunity to see, touch and experience technology used in banking and other industries, according to MaineBiz.
President and CEO David Libby told MaineBiz the vision for Collab:TECH goes back several years.
‘Hub for Our Community’
“Collab is an endeavor by Town & Country to create literally a hub for our community to engage with one another and collaborate in ways that will inspire people to think in new ways.
Libby told MaineBiz the space serves three purposes:
It provides a place for members to explore the credit union’s mobile banking app and other digital technologies
It allows members to experience augmented reality and other emerging technologies that could potentially be applied to financial services in the future. Toward that end, visitors are invited to try AR headsets and take selfies with Pepper.
It offers the broader community the opportunity to learn about technologies from experts from other industries, ranging from robotics to blockchain.
Series of Spaces
Eventually, Libby told MaineBiz that Town & Country aims to build a whole network of Collab:TECH spaces in Maine dedicated to connection, curiosity and collaboration.
Pepper the robot has also been deployed by other credit unions, including Clearview FCU in Pennsylvania and Workers Credit Union in Massachusetts.
