Have you ever heard of a library robot? Check out Mesa’s innovative addition to the Gateway Public Library.

MESA, Ariz. — Mesa’s newest full-service library, the Gateway Public Library in Eastmark, is filled with new technology: a farming robot, an interactive digital art wall, 3D printers, and a sensory room, just to name a few.

RELATED: Mesa is opening up a new library for the first time in 30 years. Here’s what you need to know.

But the high-tech innovation patrons are really excited about? Romi, the library robot.

You can see Romi roaming the library, greeting patrons and introducing itself. 

“Hello, I’m Romi,” the robot says as young patrons press the buttons on its screen. 

Designed by Bibliotheca, Romi is a mobile robot that navigates areas autonomously, as well as aiding patrons in tasks such as wayfinding or taking them to specific areas in the library. 

Romi uses LiDAR technology, along with RGB, to move through the library. 

The Romi robot that patrons interact with at Gateway is the first of its kind to be in a library in the United States. It can speak to patrons in eight different languages, and it even has a feature where patrons can take a picture using Romi’s camera and then email it to themselves.

“We’re just trying to be open to try new tech like Romi, since it’s the first of its kind here in a public library in the United States,” Assistant Library Director Brandon Williams told 12News in an interview. “We’re trying to kind of broaden it out to make sure we can allow people to see things they probably won’t see anywhere else and get cool experiences.”

Right now, Romi is still in the beta testing phase, Williams said, but eventually, Romi will be able to guide patrons to specific books on the shelf and even be able to check out books.

“The kids are hugging on it. People are taking pictures with it, selfies, and they’re using it to actually take pictures as well,” Williams said. “But what I’m excited about is what Romi is capable of in the future. Right now, it’s limited to what we’re doing, which is great, but I think people want to see it do more, and I do too.”

In addition to Romi, the Mesa Gateway library also has hold lockers to make the library more accessible. You can pick items up from the hold lockers even when the library is closed. The Maker Space in the Mesa library features technology like 3D printers and wood cutting machines, and outside, patrons can watch a “Farm Bot” plant, water and record progress for different seeds. 

When patrons first walk into the library, they are met with Pixel Paseo, a 9-foot by 40-foot digital art wall made out of more than 33,500 LED lights. Across from Pixel Paseo is the sensory room, specifically designed with neurodivergent individuals in mind, and features new tech as well. 

“Gateway is different because we tried to make it innovative in an inside and outside space,” Williams said. “So, me being able to help purchase these items, we did try to go above kind of what we’ve seen in other places, so people could kind of get excited to see the new tech.”

To learn more about the Mesa Gateway library, head to the Mesa Public Library website.

For more book and literacy stories, check out “Reading Arizona” on YouTube and 12News.com. If you have a story pitch for Reading Arizona, email koconnor@12news.com or reach out via Instagram, @thatjournalistwhoreads. 

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