FEATURE | ROBOTICS IN HOTELS
capable of multi-unit communication. “We are preferential treatment for the hotel group’s
not to far off from this - I would say another guests,” he adds.
couple of years. Imagine a security robot that
happens to see a spill on the ground. It can FINAL THOUGHTS
then communicate to Rosie to say ‘hey, come Kushner says that while great progress is
over here and clean this up’. This will be a being made technologically, a lot of people
really cool thing that’s never been done in don’t realise that robots can’t do absolutely
history before.” everything just yet. “I think what you have
at the moment is two different platforms,
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE with robots that are capable of voice
“AI is the major area where hotels are being recognition that can give out information
transformed by technology,” says and then robot cleaners which are more
Chris
Middleton,
a
technology
practical. At the moment they are very
journalist
and editor of InternetofBusiness.com, who be transformed by this data and by the ways much seperate and I think that the next
specialises in robotics and AI. “The aim in which personal technologies and even generation of robots will be one where they
is to create closer links between a hotel, transport link with hotel systems. can do both, because there isn’t really a
robot that can do both well.”
the customer and their phone, tablet, and “Of course, human beings have provided connected car, and the whole booking, travel, concierge services very well for centuries, Kushner finishes by saying that that some
and stay experience.” but the unique advantage that robots, or AI UK hoteliers are hesitant to be the first
While less extravagant than bipedal systems, is that they have access to vast hotel to have robotic staff members, but at
robots many hotels are using this system amounts of data on demand.” He notes that the same time there is appetite to innovate
to engage with their guests and personalise this ability to query vast data sets instantly when technology allows. “I think that within
their stays even more. “Certainly that’s what - such as travel, tourism, restaurants, places the next five or six months we will have a
IBM is working towards with its Watson to visit, theatre shows and tickets – would hotel group in the UK that will have proper
Assistant says give them a “superhuman advantage”, as robots in their hotels,” he says. “And if it is
Middleton. “As hotels learn their customers’ would the ability to instantly access services not six then it will be nine months. It is only a
preferences, everything about their stay will such as booking tickets. “Perhaps with matter of time.”
36
service,
for
example,”
www.hotelowner.co.uk
April 2018