Savioke’s room service robot called Relay is wowing hotel guests to the point of ordering things only to be met by an autonomous helper.
The robot has generated a lot of interest outside of guests as well, with the creator of Savioka last month earning $15 million from backers in the latest round of funding.
Relay currently operates in 12 hotels across the U.S., the LA Times reported Sunday, helping to transport a variety of items to guests when they call.
For front desk staff, Relay is easy to operate. When a guest asks for a toothbrush, towel or similar item, all they have to do is place it in the closed compartment on top of the robot, tap the room number and press “go”. The three-foot-tall Relay uses Wi-Fi and built-in cameras and sensors to find its way around corners and along hallways. It also calls the elevator wirelessly and, importantly, automatically alerts the guest when they arrive outside the room.
Guest and bot can also enjoy a brief interaction, though Relay’s lack of human-like features means its performance is, at least for now, a little on the basic side. Indeed, communication involves tapping messages on the Relay’s attached screen rather than anything more sophisticated – maybe Pepper could use a lesson or two on that front.
Compliments are exchanged, the robot returns to its charging station to await the next call.
Tom Beedon, manager of the Residence Inn on Century Boulevard in LA, said his Relay robot, nicknamed Wally by employees, recently got an upgrade so it can now deliver Starbucks coffee, though it appears the bot’s main function is dispensing toothpaste. Some guests seem to be ordering things just so they can meet Wally and post pictures of him on social media. And no, tips are not required.
Beedon insists there is no danger of Wally replacing the human workers at his hotel. Instead, the robot actually gives the staff more time to take on more complex tasks and jobs around the construction site.
Savioke’s hotel robot seems to function mostly as a fun addition to a guest’s overall hotel experience, and Lynn Mohrfeld, president of the California Hotel and Lodging Association, suggests that Relay would be a hit with hotels “that cater to millennials with a fascination for high-tech gadgets.”
Savioke CEO Steve Cousins said in a recent release that thanks to the huge advances in robotics software and the drop in associated costs, “the time has finally come for robots to be in our position, and we mean that quite literally for our robots in the hospitality industry. “
But while Relay may be a charming guest in a growing number of hotels, the robot-based experience pales in comparison to what you can expect at Japan’s Henna (“Strange Hotel”), staffed by robots and only robots.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn