Robot room service is here! Droid delivers everything from Starbucks to toothpaste
(and it doesn't expect a tip)
- Savioke 'Relay' robot uses Wi-Fi and cameras to navigate
- Robot can deliver room service orders, like towels and toothpaste
- Last year the robot US fleet made 11,000 deliveries, totaling 1860 miles
The next time you call room service for extra towels, your order may be delivered by a robot. It might not be able to change your sheets, but Savioke's Relay hospitality robot can bring everything from toothpaste to Starbucks, and it uses Wi-Fi and 3D cameras to navigate. The robot is already being used by some hotels in the US, and with recent funding of $15 million, autonomous butlers could soon become a lot more popular.
So far, 12 of these robots have been employed in the US, according to Ars Technica, and are in use at five of the world's major hotel brands. This includes the Residence Inn by Marriott Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulevard, where Relay makes routine deliveries and also brings coffee to guests from the Starbucks in the hotel lobby.
Officially called Relay – though it has gained its own nicknames at some hotels – the robot stands three feet tall, and has a compartment at the top that can be loaded with items for delivery. When a guest places a call to room service, the staff will gather the requested goods and pack them into the Relay robot.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3437370/Robot-room-service-coming-hotels-Droid-delivers-Starbucks-toothpaste-doesn-t-expect-tip.html#ixzz3zbqw0bRU
