Tourisme Centre-du-Québec
With Tourisme Centre-du-Québec and Drummond économique, we deployed Boussole, our interactive reception robot, to greet visitors and show them where to eat, where to stay and what to do in the region. Launched as a pilot project in the fall of 2025, it is now permanently installed at the Centrexpo Promutuel Assurance in Drummondville and at Le Victorin in Victoriaville.
A tourist guide that goes out to meet visitors
Set up in the main hall of the Centrexpo Promutuel Assurance, a high-traffic venue for conventions and business events, Boussole spots people as they approach and greets them. It helps them find their way around the venue, then shows them what the region has to offer: restaurants, lodging, activities and nearby attractions.
Launched as a pilot project at the Centrexpo and the Village québécois d'antan, the project is now permanent: Boussole greets visitors at the Centrexpo and at Le Victorin in Victoriaville. For Fractal, it was a first official mandate in the tourism sector.
Software developed by Fractal
Boussole runs on software designed by our team: visitor detection and greeting, voice and on-screen conversations, and recommendations tailored to each request, whether it is a place to eat, an activity or a hotel.
The information comes straight from the database of Quebec's Ministère du Tourisme, so visitors get reliable, constantly updated information.
Data that helps develop tourism
The robot records visitors' requests, without identifying individual voices. When many people ask where to eat or where to stay, the team gets a clear picture of their real needs and expectations.
That information becomes a strategic tool for developing tourism in the Centre-du-Québec region.
Bringing business visitors back
The goal: that professionals in town for a convention or a trade show come back to the region on vacation, with their family or for a romantic weekend. "We show them what there is to do here. We want to dazzle them," explains Mélanie Raymond, director of tourism and conventions at Drummond économique (translated from Le Devoir).
The robot complements human hospitality rather than replacing it: "It's a complementary tool that multiplies the opportunities to put information in front of visitors," she adds.
To draw attention, Boussole moves around the hall: people stop, smile and come over to talk to it. Our team keeps making the voice conversations smoother.