INSTEAD OF WALKING AROUND AND LOOKING FOR an information desk, a friendly robot who can communicate in multiple languages is making its way around an airport terminal, shopping center or hospital reception. And when arriving at a hotel, there\u2019s now an AI-powered robo-concierge to assist you with everything from room service to check-in. It sounds far-fetched but cobots, or collaborative robots, are one of the fastest growing segments of industrial automation worldwide. According to Report Ocean insights, the global cobot market is expected to reach $4,925 million by 2030.<\/p>\n
\u201cRobotics and mechatronics are on the rise in Africa,\u201d says Martine Solomon, a non-executive director at Forge Academy, a 4IR institution where cobot training programs are the norm.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe inclusion of cobots into the modern workplace will do wonders for employees in the manufacturing industry wanting to increase their productivity, efficiencies and quality assurance. Cobots will not tire during physical activities and their concentration levels won\u2019t drop. As a result, they make for an excellent partner on the job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hotel Sky is the first African hotel chain to introduce robot staff. With locations both in Cape Town and Johannesburg, each property has a team of robots and Tony Maia, Bright Horse IT Automation\u2019s founder, was tasked with sourcing Hotel Sky\u2019s unique technology requirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe robots work alongside their human colleagues but were never intended to replace them,\u201d says Maia. \u201cIf people are inclined to stand in front of a robot and speak to a machine, they can play a very good concierge role\u2026 provided you have the patience as conversing with a robot is a little bit slower than a human.\u201d Hotel Sky\u2019s robots work in conjunction with a bespoke app that guests download upon arrival and use as a mobile keycard. While the robot staff do provide some entertainment value, they complement the workload of the staff by carrying bags, delivering room service and, for those who prefer to social distance, offer a safer alternative by limiting human-to- human communication. \u201cThere is a footprint of robotics in the logistics, education and healthcare sectors, especially when it comes to hygiene, but cobots definitely have a role to play in hospitality too,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Missing colleagues in a work-from- home setting? A collaborative robot or cobot could take that place in a smart home, and it wouldn\u2019t mind repetitive tasks all day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12963,"featured_media":4880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,21],"tags":[7,26,22],"class_list":{"0":"post-4883","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-technology","9":"tag-apie-project","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-technology"},"yoast_head":"\n