The ‘cobots’ that carry guest luggage

The hospitality industry has seen a flurry of robotics companies attempt to automate hotel tasks. Some are catching on - others, less so

But while the rush for robots has many hoteliers excited about their potential to drive operational efficiency, on-site staff are often concerned that the technology will be used to replace them, the humans that make hospitality, well, hospitable.

Key takeaways

• Boston-based robotics company Piaggio Fast Forward is sidestepping that anxiety with a new “cobot,” which is designed to assist people, not replace them;
• The Kilo robot, launched earlier this month, is a 4-wheeled robotic flatbed that can carry heavy loads such as luggage, or “pretty much anything big and heavy that moves in hotels.”
• Kilo robots allow workers to avoid injuries and physical strain by doing the heavy lifting for them. They also improve upon a clunky piece of equipment: the hotel luggage cart.

Get the full story at Hotel Dive