We all grew up watching sci-fi classics like Star Wars, i-Robot, and Wall-E, immersing ourselves in futuristic worlds where humanoid robots coexist alongside humans in advanced technological landscapes. In Star Wars, the sophisticated C3PO served as a bot meticulously programmed for etiquette and protocol. i-Robot introduced us to the versatile NS5, a government-issued robot designed to fulfil an array of public service roles globally. Wall-E, the endearing Pixar creation, embraced the humble duty of rubbish collection. While we may not wield lightsabers, possess sentient artificial intelligence, or have ventured into space colonisation, the line between robots and science fiction is increasingly blurred. The 2023 Las Vegas CES Technology Trade Show offered a glimpse into a not-so-distant future where robotic chefs might skillfully sear your steak whilst robotic baristas craft intricate latte art behind the coffee machine, challenging the notion of robots as mere elements of fantasy.
Smart Cafes
First up on our robot tour of the hospitality industry is the world of baristas. Coffee machines are of course nothing new, but the concept of a robot barista has been out of the equation until fairly recently. Coffee, like any trade in the service industry, relies on a degree of subjectivity and human error. Automation simply aims to reduce the risk of error to almost zero as it enables production of consistently perfect coffees at lightning speeds. With an obvious risk to job security, one possible upside is robots freeing up baristas to spend more time on complex serves whilst they take on the easier coffee orders, such as espressos or lattes. A smart cafe called Botbar (not the smartest name) opened in New York City last year, with a two-armed robot running the show. Other than being able to dish out 50 espressos in one hour, the robot is also making a name for itself for its dancing skills - a feature that does little more than reinforce the bot as a gimmick. We all want the perfect cup of coffee, but robots will never be able to replace the attraction of human interaction that makes cafe culture so appealing to so many.
Robot Chefs
Robot baristas are one thing, but ai chefs? Surely not. How would a robot stand a chance of replicating the varied and complex skills of an accomplished chef, let alone the level of improvisation that comes with cheffing? Currently, the conversation is more around smart tech than robotic arms like in the coffee world. Ai-powered smart grills like the newly unveiled NeoSear can take on tasks like searing and broiling without the need for a chef present. The obvious benefits for the kitchen of time-saving and quality control are intriguing to say the least, but this smart tech has a strong pull for consumers too, allowing anyone to grill with machine-perfect precision. That being said, chef-like robots are out there and tease a future with autonomous restaurants. The world’s first fully-autonomous ai-powered restaurant opened in California at the end of 2023. CaliExpress by Flippy uses robots to fry, flip and serve burgers. The location will also serve as a pseudo-museum presented by Miso Robotics, including dancing robot arms from retired Flippy units, experimental 3D-printed artefacts, and photographic displays.
Ai Bartenders
In many cases, sci-fi movies have been the inspiration for innovations in hospitality servicing. This was the case for Yanu, the Estonian ai-powered robot bartender. Founder and CEO Alan Adojaan credits Star Wars as the inspiration for his ‘tipsy robot’ design. Yanu is the world’s first fully autonomous bartender and aims to be ‘the mercedes of the robot service industry.’ As ai and robotics become more commonplace in the hospitality industry, a future where ‘tipsy robots’ use facial recognition to recognise patrons and offer personal experiences might not be too far away. Beyond offering regulars their preferred pours, air-powered bartenders will likely be able to offer unexpected variations on personal preferences to further hyper-personalise the customer experience for everyone, whether they visit hundreds of times or twice…
As the unreality of sci-fi becomes increasingly real, the question remains as to whether robots can truly replace the irreplaceable human experience that defines hospitality. What we can be certain of is that the answer is not lightyears away. How far exactly? Time will tell…