To a lot of people, making the perfect cup of coffee is an exact science. It demands precision in all elements, from the roasting temperature of the beans, to the size of the ground grains, to the temperature of the water and the length of the brew.
It’s no surprise, then, that in the world of ‘smart vending’, ‘smart baristas’ are causing quite a stir. Smart vending is the term used for the latest generation of vending machines, many of them characterised by automated food preparation rather than simply dispensing pre-packaged products.
The very latest smart vending machines are using AI for even greater speed and accuracy. And that suits the precision world of making the perfect cup of coffee down to the ground. AI-powered smart baristas are starting to crop up all over the place.
Most smart vending solutions are stationary affairs at present. But it surely won’t be long before smart vending and service robot technologies align. The synergies are obvious. The robots that help deliver food to tables in busy restaurants could easily equipped with barista modules, preparing and serving high quality customised beverages directly to diners on demand, reducing wait times and selling more coffees to boost AOV per customer.
This would be a great way to add value to service robots. So what other ways can we foresee them becoming smart vending machines on wheels, particularly in restaurant and hotel settings? Some ideas include:
On-Demand Mini Bars
One vending function service robots are already taking on in hotels is acting as mobile mini bars, offering guests a selection of drinks and snacks around the clock as they travel from room to room. This is proving to be an effective means of tackling theft from mini bars, and guests disputing that missing items were ever in stock. Advanced inventory management systems can track consumption and automatically restock items, enhancing convenience for guests and efficiency for staff.
‘No Kitchen’ Dining
There are obviously limits to what service robots can reasonably be expected to carry around with them, and therefore what they can prepare on the go. Coffee and hot drinks are an obvious winner because the ingredient requirements are simple.
But what robots can do is integrate with self-service food vending outlets, and in effect provide an automated delivery service for vended snacks and meals. This would work particularly well in hotels to provide a fully automated out-of-hours room service even when the kitchen is closed.
But given the growing number of autonomous delivery robots we’re seeing used by courier companies and retailers to deliver everything from groceries to parcels, would anyone be that surprised if the likes of Just Eat and Uber Eats were eventually run by robots?
Personal Care and Amenities Delivery
Service robots (and likewise vending machines in general) don’t have to be limited to dispensing food and beverages. A great idea for the hotel sector in particular is stocking robots with personal care items like toothbrushes, razors, or toiletries to deliver to rooms on request. This not only improves guest satisfaction but also reduces the workload on housekeeping staff.
To find out more about our Robot range, contact the Oxhoo team today.