Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #45

INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGIES
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #45
2020 Winter Edition 37
37
ROBOTICS GET SERIOUS
IN HOSPITALITY
No longer just a gimmick, robots are now an integral part
of the hospitality ecosystem
Over the past couple of years, we have begun to see service robots
appearing on the scene for use in the hotel industry. Only today, with
competition starting to kick-in, and the bugs of the first-generation devices
being somewhat ironed-out, are we starting to see a serious offering of
robots on the broader hospitality market.
Already several years ago, a Travelzoo
survey indicated that international
travellers would be largely comfortable
with robots playing a role in their holiday,
though some nations appear more
cautious than others. German and French
respondents were the most averse, while
Chinese and Brazilians were the most
positive about how robotics and artificial
intelligence could enhance a holiday or
travel in general – 92% of Chinese were
comfortable with the idea. More than
three-quarters of respondents think that
robots would be better than humans at
handling data (81%) and dealing with
different languages (79%), while 76%
believe robots have better memories.
81% of respondents selected their
untiring energy as an advantage.
There are several kinds of robotic devices
that are useful for hotels. Industrial robot
vacuum cleaners have already been
deployed for some time in large areas
such as ballrooms. In the same ilk come
floor-mopping robots, such as those
offered by Everybot Inc. The RS700 and
Edge cleaners by Everybot claim to be
the world’s first dual-spinning technology
floor mopping cleaner, performing both
driving and cleaning at the same time
using two mop-pads without wheels.
New Era AI Robotic Inc. recently presented
a “Smart Service Robot” at IFA, Berlin,
named the C-01. Henceforth, time spent
running errands, transporting supplies
and data can now be re-allocated to
value-added work. Providing a solution
for the mechanisation of these tasks is,
says the manufacturer, a crucial step
in solving today’s challenges. Equipped
with autonomous indoor navigation,
voice interaction and facial recognition,
the robot is designed for guiding,
real time customer service and mobile
broadcasting, thus providing smart
solutions for hospitals, hotels, banks, retail
stores and airports. With autonomous
indoor navigation
and fleet
management,
it can safely
navigate
its environment independently and be
controlled remotely. New Era AI Robotic
Inc. is backed by the giant Taiwanese
manufacturer, New Kinpo Group (NKG).
Korean-based Rastech has developed
service robots specifically for hospitality.
The i CLRO hotel service robot is a
comprehensive service robot providing
carpet cleaning, delivery of goods and
various information within the hotel
environment. i CLRO moves about freely
through autonomous driving and obstacle
avoidance, and can thus be a great help
for hotel guests and staff alike
New Era AI
Robotic C-01