Human beings have been imagining what the world would be like if robots could serve us for well over 100 years. Many of the science fiction writers of old might be surprised to learn that, as we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, that has yet to become a day-to-day reality.
Yet that is starting to change. Recent advances in technology, such as so-called ‘markerless’ motion systems which allow robots to navigate independently without pre-installed tracks/markers, are making the use of robots more viable in many more situations.
Most significantly, greater autonomy is allowing robotics to break out of industrial applications, where it has been a familiar sight for several decades, and start to make an impression on service industries.
Service robots are defined as those “that perform useful tasks for humans and equipment” with a degree of operational autonomy. It’s a fast-growing market, forecast to witness a huge CAGR of 25% over the period 2023 to 2032. It’s already a large and varied market with many different use cases, and many more are expected to emerge over the coming years.
Here are four examples of where service robots can make a difference to your business, today.
Food service
Service robots are the ideal companion for making food delivery from kitchen to table quicker, more efficient and less time-consuming. Simply by entering the destination table, which with the latest AI voice interfaces can be done by telling the robot a table number, service robots adapted for food service can be loaded with more meals than a single person can carry. They can even be programmed to announce the dishes on arrival! Food service robots make an ideal labour-saving addition to large restaurants and especially to large-scale catering events like weddings, award dinners and conferences.
Guest services
In hotels, robots can be used to take on the bellhop role, picking up guest’s luggage when they arrive and transporting it to their room. They can also be used for room service, with specially designed multi-compartment chassis able to deliver to several rooms at a time, or keep meals warm and drinks cold. As for navigating multi-storey complexes, that’s no problem at all, with modern IoT integrations ensuring robots can navigate lifts without trouble.
Cleaning
Perhaps one of the best-known uses for service robots to date is as automated cleaning machines. Domestic versions such as robotic vacuum cleaners are already popular. Larger multi-function commercial models are a rising trend.
Stock control
Robots have been used to move heavy goods around factories and warehouses for many years, with modern AI-powered picking robots made famous more recently by the likes of Amazon. Smaller versions can be deployed to assist with stock control in retail. Integration with POS and inventory management systems can alert robots when certain items are running low on shelf, they can then drive themselves to the right place in the stock room ready for loading, and safely carry items in bulk out to the shop floor.
Oxhoo has partnered with award-winning service robotics pioneer Keenon to add a brand new dimension to our customer service hardware offer. Check out the range of products we stock for catering, hotel, cleaning and logistics purposes, or contact our team to find out more.