Robots Now Doing Room Service In Dozens of U.S. Hotels

From babysitting and taking restaurant orders, to screening passengers at the airport, or assisting doctors with medical diagnoses, we are increasingly seeing artificial intelligence being implemented in a number of creative ways throughout society. And one innovative business in this space has been Savioke Inc., who've been pressing forward with their introduction of a line of robots to a number of U.S. hotels that are capable of carrying-out room service duties.

The image above is a picture of the Savioke relay robot, which is called Dash, and with this machine the front desk personnel are able to load it with a variety of items and then send it up to the room where they need to go, by selecting a room number on the touch screen of the machine. The company has been leasing the robots to a number of hotels and they are able to then manage them remotely.

They are heavily dedicated to growing in this space and their bots are already available at hotels like the Crowne Plaza in San Jose and chains like Hilton, Westin, and Marriott.

These robots are able to make their deliveries to the guests in under 5 minutes after the order is initially placed. The machine is designed with sensors and has been equipped with a map that enables it to navigate through the building and find its way back to the front desk area. It can even call for an elevator if it needs, can stop when someone is coming in its path, and it gives off an audio warning whenever it's about to move. After receiving their package, guests can give a feedback rating via the touch screen and if they give a five-star rating then the Dash machine does a 'happy dance'.

The next time that you plan on staying in a hotel, it might not be very long before you are able to get your order delivered to you via a machine similar to this one. They can deliver food, towels, and other needed items, and they deliver it quicker than most of the human workers. The machine itself along with installation, training, and service, is going to cost about $2,000, but it's allegedly able to pay for itself within just a couple of months, which makes it an attractive investment for hotel chains and others. The cost will also vary depending on the length of the contract. They are also considering implementing this machine into the healthcare field, business offices, and other areas.

Pics:
foxla
David Nicholson, Bloomberg
inverse
Sources:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-03/the-robots-are-coming-with-cheetos
http://robohub.org/silicon-valleys-crowne-plaza-hotel-launches-savioke-robot-delivery-service/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160113005191/en/Savioke-Announces-15-Million-Series-Funding-Intel
https://www.inverse.com/article/23001-relay-robot-butler-coming-hotel-near-you?amp&amp