Service robots bring drinks directly to your room
Robotise Technologies’ autonomous robot waiter uses space-saving cable carriers from igus
24 JULY 2024 – The experience of enjoying a drink from the minibar is evolving in some hotels, where the autonomous service robot JEEVES, has been introduced.
Developed by Robotise Technologies, JEEVES can replace up to 300 minibars, addressing the labor shortage in the hospitality industry while enhancing guest convenience. The space-saving and fail-safe cable carriers from igus are critical to the robot’s performance, which ensures uninterrupted guidance of sensitive energy and data cables.
Hotel guests can request a beverage or snack by simply calling from the room telephone or sending a message via the app to activate JEEVES. Standing 124cm tall and weighing 100kg, the robot employs a laser system, 3D camera, and distance sensors to autonomously navigate to the guest’s room, even using the elevator. Upon arrival, JEEVES notifies the guest through a phone call or app alert. The guest can then open the door, select a product, and complete the payment using the large touch display. The chosen item, such as a cold beer, energy drink, or bag of chips, is dispensed from one of the four drawers that open automatically.
While the service robot may initially appear as a technical novelty, Robotise Technologies asserts its significant practical benefits. By deploying a single robot, hotels can eliminate the need to refill and clean 300 minibars and the associated energy consumption for the minibars’ refrigeration. This innovation holds potential applications beyond hotels, including trade shows, canteens, offices, airports, museums, and restaurants.
The cables inside the robot, responsible for transferring energy and data to sensors in the extendable compartments, faced risks of excessive bending, breakage, or freezing to the refrigerator’s cooling plate. Power and data cable guidance reliability within the robot presented a notable challenge. Faulty robots could lead to guest dissatisfaction, underscoring the importance of JEEVES’ dependability.
“A faulty robot waiter would immediately lead to resentment of the guests,” explains Clemens Beckmann, Head of Engineering at Robotise Technologies. “That’s why we attached great importance to making JEEVES as reliable as possible.”
e-chain cable carriers from igus ensure maximum storage space and peace of mind
To address these issues and guarantee controlled and fail-safe cable movement, Robotise Technologies engineers utilized igus E2.10 e-chains. These cable carriers offer a compact and reliable solution with an inner width of 18mm, an inner height of 10mm, and a bend radius of 28mm. Installed above the guide rails of the drawers, they maximize storage space and ensure quiet operation, contributing to the robot’s overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Constructed from a high-performance plastic that is wear-resistant, abrasion-free, and suitable for a wide temperature range, these e-chains minimize the need for service work and enhance the robot’s durability and performance.
