{"id":42501,"date":"2015-10-05T11:30:13","date_gmt":"2015-10-05T09:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/les-robots-dans-les-hotels-cest-maintenant-20151005.html"},"modified":"2016-08-29T11:53:35","modified_gmt":"2016-08-29T09:53:35","slug":"robots-in-hotels-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/en\/robots-in-hotels-now","title":{"rendered":"Robots in hotels, now!"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Singapore Sling or a dry martini in a shaker?<\/strong> Just ask Royal Caribbean's new bartenders, who can compose cocktail after cocktail with their mechanical arms. But will they be able to gather the secrets of certain customers?<\/span><\/p>\n

\nDes Humano<\/span>\u00efdes<\/span> for day-to-day management<\/h2>\n

Is it by chance that the world's first hotel run by robots opened this summer in the Land of the Rising Sun? As fans of high-tech curiosities, the Japanese were no doubt less perturbed than others to find a humanoid woman, a dinosaur and a small robot at the reception desk of the Henn Na in Nagasaki, giving them instructions on how to check in. Other robots then take charge of transporting luggage, and in the rooms, Chu-ri-Chan, the hotel's mascot, adjusts the temperature on demand or sets the alarm clock. A real treat for children who have come with their parents to this establishment located in the Huis Ten Bosch theme park. And their parents too. \"The concept is great, but robots still have some way to go to compensate for the work done by humans.<\/em>\"One customer, Changhong Z, commented on Trip Advisor. Areas for improvement include the management of oversized and overweight suitcases, as well as a few untimely inconveniences...\".The robot next to the bed screamed in the middle of the night, which really surprised me...<\/em>\"says the same customer.<\/p>\n

Surprise: A.L.O is at the door<\/h2>\n

Although everything is still far from perfect, robots are making a remarkable entry into the service industry. Just over a year ago, guests at the Aloft Cupertino were surprised to see A.l.o, a three-foot-tall robot reminiscent of R2D2 from the Star Wars films, at their door when they called for room service. The fact that Starwood's young and trendy brand chose Cupertino to launch this futuristic butler service - or 'Botlr' to put it more high-techly - is no coincidence either. The establishment is a stone's throw from Apple's headquarters and its clientele is naturally technophile.<\/p>\n

\"Long<\/p>\n

And if the comments, also posted on Tripadvisor, are anything to go by, she quickly got into the swing of things. \"Oh, they've got a room service robot. That's really cool!<\/em>\"said a delighted Mary R. from Phoenix. \"My children loved ordering from Botlr. They were sad to say goodbye.<\/em>\"says SC, from San Jose.<\/p>\n

With a map of the hotel in its memory, this robot is capable of roaming the corridors autonomously for hours on end, rather like the new hoovers that do the housework themselves. Thanks to a WiFi connection, it can also call the lift to go upstairs. And if it doesn't have the arms to knock on the door, all it has to do is call the bedroom telephone to let you know it's there. Well-behaved, the robot is also programmed to respect a certain etiquette, so as not to block people who want to get out of the lift. Finally, while it waits to be called on a new mission, it wisely plugs itself into the recharging station.<\/p>\n

Satisfied with its Botlr, Aloft has already 'hired' a second Relay robot from Savioke to serve customers at Aloft Silicon Valley. \"We embarked on the robotic path a few years ago, and this experience has proved what we suspected: humans and robots can coexist and work together to enhance the customer experience.<\/em>\"As Brian McGuinness, Starwood's Global Director of Select Brands, remarked at the time of the recruitment announcement. With this in mind, a new brand, Crowne Plaza, has been won over by the robots developed by Savioke. Christened Dash by the IHG brand, the first of these will soon be tested live. Where will this take place? In Silicon Valley, of course, at Milpitas.<\/p>\n

But robots are not just for hotels. Recently, cruise operator Royal Caribbean employed two bartenders of a new kind behind the counter of the Bionic Bar on its giant Anthem of the Seas. Called Kuka Agilus KR10 R1100 SIXX, they may not be as sexy as Tom Cruise, but they're at least as efficient! Designed under the supervision of engineer Carlo Ratti, director of MIT's SENSEable City Lab, and distributed by the Italian company Makr Shakr, this robotic bar system can mix almost 540 cocktails in one night, which customers have ordered in advance via an interactive tablet. And what about tomorrow? Researchers at Cornell University are working on a barista robot, which is also intelligent because it can adapt to coffee machines other than those it has been trained to use. It probably won't be long before these new machines appear behind the counter. The financial directors of hotel groups will no doubt take a very positive view of the emergence of these new employees. But what about customers? Will the robots be able to recognise the regulars and offer them a drink from time to time? Will they be able to chat with them about anything and everything? The worst, or the best, is that it's quite possible!<\/p>\n

\"Developed<\/p>\n

\"Robots\"<\/p>\n

\"Robots\"<\/p>\n

In airports also<\/span>
\n<\/h2>\n

\"Robots\"<\/p>\n

At the beginning of July, Japan Airport Terminal signed a partnership agreement with Cyberdyne, a start-up from the University of Tsukuba, to put robotics technology into practice at Tokyo Haneda airport, both behind the scenes, for maintenance or baggage transport, and in direct contact with passengers. In the same vein, the Spencer project, supported by several European research centres, including the CNRS, but also and above all by KLM, is exploring the possibility of cognitive robots, capable of guiding travellers in sprawling hubs such as Amsterdam Schiphol and thus facilitating the transfer of passengers from a long-haul flight to a connection within the Schengen area. The research will be completed in 2016.<\/p>\n

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