Beijing/Las Vegas – 06 Januar 2016
They have already become standard in many luxury hotels: Service-robots welcome guests in over 30 top hotels in China. They accompany guests to their rooms, transport their luggage or serve drinks. While the “Botlr” at Aloft or “Pepper” at the AIDA cruise liners still come across as a gag in Europe, the use of robots has already become normality in the Middle Kingdom.
The Chinese start-up Yunji Technologies develops autonomous androids equipped with artificial intelligence. Making them move independently is the most important aspect during the development process. The robot-butlers need to be able to avoid obstacles and people without touching them. The ideal is to crosslink the robots with the home network. This is how the new robot type “Run”, for example, can operate an elevator (important for service procedures) or inform guests via telephone calls.
Humanoid bots with human faces will soon be programmed for conversations and entertainment. The different, already existing fields of application will be presented at the technology trade fair CES in Las Vegas.
In Europe, the first robots will rather work in the dark, e.g. in logistics sites. Service robots, making coffee and tea or regulating climate control, will remain an exception for the time being. Except for hotels: In suites, androids can politely and courteously meet the guests’ wishes, like they do in China.