The first country in the world to use a robot in a hotel is not Singapore, but Japan. That was in 2015. But it didn't take long for the city-state to follow suit. In June 2016, the opening of the M Social hotel marked the introduction ofa high-tech butler called Aura. This little robot, whose name stands for Automated Room-Delivery Associate, is capable, despite its rather clumsy appearance, of moving around the floors to bring customers a bottle of water, a towel and welcome products.
"In Singapore, the hotel of the future will be something like this: guests will check in on the Internet, and then, as soon as they arrive, they'll check out again, a robot will serve them drinks that they have pre-ordered, bring their luggage to their room and deliver their room service orders.explains Anne Chong, Marketing & Communications Director of Millennium Hotels and Resorts, the group to which M Social belongs. These robots will be able to enter rooms without a key, thanks to a smartphone application."
According to Anne Chong, "Robots will in no way replace humans, but will support them in their daily work. They can carry much heavier loads than humans can. However, nothing can replace a smile or an attentive ear. The robot is already enabling our teams to be more available to our customers, and therefore to better anticipate their needs."
Apparently, as the tasks assigned to these machines are limited, there are few aspects that still require improvement. However, the designers of Techi, another robot used by the Park Avenue Rochester hotel since spring 2016, are of the opinion that there is still room for improvement. some progress to be madeTechi's design is based on the latest technology, particularly in terms of aesthetics and dynamics. Designed by the Techmetics start-up, Techi measures 1.38 m and has three compartments. It is already capable of providing room service and bringing food from the hotel restaurant to your room. "Although our headquarters are in India, this technology was born in Singapore almost four years ago.explains Mathan Muthupillai, Director of Techmetics. Seven of the city's hotels have them or are in the process of acquiring them, and our robots are beginning to be marketed in countries such as Australia, Dubai and Thailand."
Although robots are increasingly in demand, they are mainly used in four-star hotels, and more rarely in five-star establishments that prefer face-to-face contact with customers. Although Robie, a robot whose behind-the-scenes task is limited to distributing and collecting linen across the floors, could well find a place for itself. in the city's finest hotelsas it has already done in several hospitals in Singapore. "A robot like Techi or Robie costs between 70 and 80,000 Singapore dollars (editor's note: around 50,000 euros).continues Mathan Muthupillai. But the Singapore government, which is keen to position the city as a smart city, is offering big incentives and is reimbursing 70 % of the investment to establishments or institutions that are currently equipping themselves with such machines."
This goes some way to explaining why these associates of the future, which come with a two-year guarantee, are becoming increasingly popular with hoteliers. Even before it opened in September, the Sofitel Singapore City Centre acquired four robots: two to assist the back office teams and two others, called Sofie, to meet customers, particularly when restocking the minibars.
But it is also towards assistance to private individuals robotics, especially in a city with one of the world's oldest populations. The current exhibition "HUMAN+: The Future Of Our Species" at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore features Nadine, a young woman with fair skin and Venetian blonde hair, but hands that are slightly out of proportion for her feminine figure. Nadine's vocabulary is still somewhat limited, and she tells anyone who will listen that "you seem to be a happy person". Nevertheless, she should soon be able to speak several foreign languages, including French.
High-tech lady-in-waiting
Developed by researchers at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, Nadine is the prototype of a 'lady's companion' robot that will be able to assist people with reduced mobility, the elderly or the disabled in their daily lives, by reading them stories, helping them to check or write their emails, etc. As for Hospi, with his computer screen as a face, he is already roaming the corridors of Changi General Hospital to bring medicines and other conveniences to the hospital.
However, the other robot with the most human name and the most talked about in Singapore is... Zoé, a car designed by the French. This electric vehicle was invented by Renault, but the experimental and application stages are being overseen by a Singaporean start-up based in the United States, NuTonomy. This driverless taxi has been on trial since summer 2016 in a 4 km2 test area and should be available to the public during 2018. To use it, passengers will have to order it via a smartphone application. A first step towards the forthcoming introduction of the electric city bus! Without a driver, of course.
