Starwood Hotel’s Aloft Will Soon Have a Robotic Butler to Take Care of Guests
(Photo credit: Justin Soloman/CNBC < http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets/robot-butlers-roll-action-starwood-hotels-n178626> )
The next time you stay at a hotel, you might have the option of a robotic butler tending to your needs. At Starwood Hotel’s Aloft in Cupertino, California, researchers are testing the Botlr robot and anticipate using it to help guests beginning August 20.
How would you feel about a robotic butler attending to your needs the next time you check into a hotel? Robots are found in a variety of industries, helping companies save on labor costs and sparing humans from backbreaking, repetitive labor. From automotive factories to computer chip facilities to the small Roomba devices that patrol people’s home, constantly vacuuming up debris, robots are here to make life easier for all.
At Starwood Hotel’s Aloft in Cupertino, California, technicians are making the final touches on a new Botlr robot (which means robotic butler) named ALO in preparation to unveil it on August 20. The name “ALO” is pronounced “el-lo.” If all goes well with the nearly 3-foot-tall robot during the pilot program, Starwood anticipates bringing Botlrs to approximately 100 other properties, according to a recent article at Daily Finance.
Obviously, a number of issues need to be worked out when you are considering using robots in the same location as people. Guests must be protected from robots banging into them as they navigate the hallways and lobby, for example. The robots need to have sensors to keep track of where they are, and require robots battery systems to keep them powered up during their shifts helping guests. But because robots are easy to program and won’t need supervision as they journey to each guest’s room, the result should be improved service and decreased costs.
Botlr wears a vinyl-collared uniform to look like a butler and will be able to work 24 hours a day, answering calls from guests. All you have to do is call the front desk and place your order for something like a cup of hot chocolate or some extra towels. A staffer will load the items on the Botlr and then key in your room number. The robot will automatically navigate to your room, using Wi-Fi signals to request elevator service.
In case you are worried that this is part of some grand plan to replace all human workers with machine counterparts, you can relax. Starwood indicated that they intend to use Botlr robots to free up employees from minor tasks. This will give them more time for face-to-face interactions with guests.
Start-up robotics company Savioke in Sunnyvale, California is responsible for designing and building the Botlr, with funding from Google Ventures and Starwood Hotels. The company has its eyes on building service robots not just for the hotel industry, but also for hospitals and elder care facilities. Starwood has an exclusive arrangement with Savioke until the end of 2015. Robots are provided through a leasing program that involves a service fee.
What do you think? Would you enjoy having a robotic butler bring you hot towels or toothpaste instead of a human during your next hotel stay?
