JaK*s bot force to combat the labor shortage.
Some of you might have watched the comedy series Get Smart originally airing in the 1960’s, in which one of the characters was a robot spy for the good guys, Control. He looked very much like a man, though a hatch door on his back opened up to reveal his inner workings, allowing maintenance. In one episode he answered the question, “Do you smoke?” with the response, “Only when I drink cheap oil.” (Ba-doom cha!)
Robots in the workplace have been around for decades, typically on production lines in manufacturing, and they bear little resemblance to a human. Even as technology advances and robots get seemingly “smarter”, their functionality must still take precedence over form.
Recently, robots have begun appearing in restaurants in a customer facing capacity. They do not possess the full hospitality capabilities of The Jetsons’ Rosie the Robot (begging forgiveness for the second TV comedy reference). At least the form of today’s restaurant robot is more similar to hers – minus the mouth that functions like a sideways elevator door and side antennas reminiscent of ears. Think round in shape with the practicality of shelves as a midsection yet rolling forward in a steady balanced motion.
JaK*s has signed an agreement with Bear Robotics, a U.S. company, to bring in a robot they have designed specifically for the hospitality industry. Much like Rosie, their robots are programmed to avoid obstacles, including the sudden appearance of humans in their path as frequently happens in the restaurant world. They can even deliver a spoken message to guests, like saying “Excuse me,” when unable to pass, or sing “Happy birthday,” when delivering a birthday dessert to a table.
The dining room robot at JaK*s will primarily be running food out to tables, and bringing dirty dishes back to the kitchen. The vision for this extra pair of helping “hands” is to add efficiency to the team that is already in place. While the team is busy making food or drinks, washing dishes or polishing glasses, this service helper will do some of their legwork. Servers often end their shifts feeling exhausted, much of which comes from the amount of walking they do. The JaK*s robot will alleviate some of that legwork as well.
Nothing replaces speaking face to face with another human, something of which so many were deprived through much of the pandemic. And while robots can’t deliver the human element, they can get food and drinks to the table more quickly. Or reduce the steps of a server while that server follows the robot to a larger party’s table, each dividing the load instead of making two trips.
Employees are looking forward to the delivery of their helper-bot, and each one gets to present a name suggestion. We’ll pick the best ones and allow voting from the public. Be sure to ask for a ballot when you’re in. Baby Bot’s due date is 11/29. Stayed tuned for updates!
Interested in deploying bots in your business?
rodney@bearrobotics.ai let Rodney know ya heard it from JaK*s
