our research project on robotics in hotel

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INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT
CATERING TECHNOLOGY &
APPLIED NUTRITION, HYDERABAD.
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Mr./Ms. CHANDANA and B VENKATA
SAAKSHI students of final year B.sc in hospitality and hotel
Administration during the year 2013-14 have completed the Research
project work SATISFACTORILY.
Signature of the Guide, Signature of principal,
Date: _____________. Date: _____________.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have been
possible without the kind support and help of any guidance from our
guide and particular faculty. I would like to extend my sincere thanks
to all of them.
I am highly indebted to Mr. Rajesh for his guidance and constant
supervision as well as for providing necessary information regarding
the project & also for his support completing the project. I would like
to express my gratitude towards my parents & my faculty for their
kind co-operation and encouragement which help me in completion of
this project.
My thanks and appreciations also go to my colleague in developing
the project and people who have willingly helped me out with their
abilities.

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INDEX
1. Introduction
2. Objectives
3. Research methodology
4. Secondary data collection
5. Research finding and analysis
6. Conclusion
7. Recommendation
8. Bibliography

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INTRODUCTION
On August20th
2014 was the historical day for the hotel industry, the
reason for this history was Starwood Hotels. On this day Starwood
Introduces Robotic Butlers at Aloft Hotel in Cupertino, California.
Having a digital assistant safely housed in your iPhone isn't exactly
revolutionary in 2014, but what about one that rolls up to your hotel
room door with those extra towels you needed
Starwood, one of the world’s largest hotel companies, is rolling out
two robotic “Botlrs” inexplicably named A.L.O. in their Cupertino
aloft Hotel.
The robotic butlers, built by Savioke, are able to perform tasks in the
front of the house and the back of the house, as well as navigate
around guests and use elevators. For the most part, it seems that the
Botlrs will be delivering amenities to guest rooms in lieu of actual
humans, “freeing up existing talent’s time and allowing them to create
a more personalized experience for guests.”
“This is currently a pilot at Aloft Cupertino and is under
consideration, though not yet confirmed, to be implemented at Aloft
Sunnyvale when it opens at the end of this year,” said
Brian McGuiness of Aloft Hotels. “Based on the success of the pilot,
we will look to roll out at our nearly 100 hotels around the world in
2015 and beyond.”
The Aloft Botlrs are currently “training”, and will officially go live in
the hotels starting on August.
Starwood Hotels, which is funding the pilot, has an exclusive deal
with Savioke through the end of the year. The robots' cost was not
made available, but Cousins said they will become more affordable as

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certain supply costs come down. The business model will be leasing
the robots and charging a service fee.
The below is the A.L.O named butler robot which is used in
Starwood at Aloft Hotel in Cupertino, California

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OBJECTIVES
 To explore about the robotics of future.
 To explore about robotics in hotel industry.
 To know about the effects to the employees and guests due to
robots in hotels
 To explore about their speed of work and in which conditions
they can work
 To know about guests satisfactions about the robotics in hotels
 To explore about the charges and efforts put in manufacturing it
 To know about the advantages and disadvantages of robotics in
hotel

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METHODOLOGY
The methodology used to conduct the study has been very specific.
Basically, the method chosen is aimed to fulfil the objectives of the
study. According to the methodology adopted we will be taking
certain measures, while conducting the study, and the measures are as
follows:
 To research work was carried out in three stages:
 Defining the objectives and the framework for the project.
 Collection of data.
Desk research: it involved collecting data from internet, N.I.N
and books.
 Secondary data
 Primary data is not mentioned as the robotics in hotels of India
is not introduced.

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SECONDARY DATA COLLECTION
FUTURE OF ROBOTICS IN HOTELS
What if you could check into a hotel, have your luggage carried to
your room and order a coffee — all with help from a team of robots?
 A new hotel at a theme park in Nagasaki, Japan, hopes to make
that dream a reality. The Henn-na Hotel (whose name means
"strange hotel") will be partially staffed by androids that work as
reception attendants, robot waiters, cleaning staff and a
cloakroom attendant.
 This hotel operates under the motto “A commitment for
evolution
 They'll be able to engage in intelligent conversations with
human guests.
 The hotel will also employ four service and porter robots, and
others engaged in menial tasks such as cleaning.
 According to the park, the first phrase of the two-story hotel will
open on July 17 with 72 rooms.
 The second phrase will be completed in 2016 with an additional
72 rooms

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 Developed by Japan's Osaka University and manufactured by
the Japanese robotics company Kokoro, many of the "Actroid"
robots resemble a young Japanese woman.
 The bots will be able to speak Japanese, Chinese, Korean and
English, make hand gestures, and pull off the somewhat creepy
feat of mimicking eye movements.
 The android-staffed hotel will be part of a theme park called
Hues Ten Bosch, which is modelled after a typical Dutch town.
Hotel guests will be able to access their rooms using facial
recognition software instead of keys, if they choose.
 Japan is renowned for being at the forefront of technology, and
the country’s on-going love affair with robots has helped them
maintain their position as world leaders in this industry.
 In spite of this, it was still a little surprising to find out that
Japanese scientists have progressed the field so much that a
hotel is due to be opened this year (2015)in Nagasaki which will
be half-staffed by robots.
 Henn-na Hotel, which means either “strange” or “change” hotel,
you pick the one that suits it best, will come to life in July this
year.
 The 72-room hotel will be staffed by 10 people alongside 10
robots, in case you miss interacting with people.

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 These so-called “actroids” are designed to be remarkably, and
slightly creepily, human-like.
 Developed by Osaka University and manufactured by Kokoro, a
branch of the company that licenses Hello Kitty, the humanoids
bear the features and mannerisms of young Japanese women.
 Alongside Japanese, these multilingual bots will be capable of
conversing fluently in Chinese, Korean and English. Not only
that, but they will also be able to make hand gestures and mimic
various other human behaviours, such as breathing and blinking.
 And just too really freak you out, they can even make eye
contact and respond to both body language and tone of voice.
 Three robots will man the hotel’s reception and, after checking
you in, another industrial robot will deal with your luggage.
These actroids are joined by numerous porters and service
robots which carry out a variety of everyday tasks, such as
making coffee, cleaning and delivering laundry.
 Alongside this futuristic team, the hotel will have various other
high-tech features, such as facial recognition in place of key
cards. Guests will also be able to request additional amenities
through a tablet computer provided by the hotel.
Aims and statements by STARWOODS management.
 We'll make the most efficient hotel in the world," boasts Huis
Ten Bosch president Hideo Sawada.

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 Sawada says he hopes robots will eventually run 90% of the
property.
 "In the future, we're hoping to build 1,000 similar hotels around
the world," says Sawada,
 Other features will help make Henn-na the most futuristic low-
cost hotel in the industry, according to the company.
Robot Finds, Washes, Folds the Laundry
 “In the future, we’d like to have more than 90 percent of hotel
services operated by robots,” Huis Ten Bosch company
president Hideo Sawada told a news conference.
 If you’re looking for a glimpse of the future of the hospitality
industry, consider visiting Henn-na Hotel. But don’t worry;
robots won’t be tucking you in at night. At least, not yet.
 The Kokoro robots are modeled generally on the mannerism and
appearance of young women in Japan.
 For those who are seeking relief from change and strangeness
the robot-receptionists and the maids and bellhops will be
supplemented with human staff.

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HOTELS OF THE FUTURE: ROBOTS AT THE
RECEPTION AND INDIVIDUALIZED ROOMS
According to the ITB World Travel Trends Report technological
advances are expected to produce some far-reaching changes in the
hotel trade over the next ten years: ‘Smart rooms’ will adjust their
ambience to meet the individual profiles of their guests – Social
networks will create “hotel families.
Mechanic master chef: Robots cook dumplings, noodles and
wait tables at restaurant in China.
 Twenty robots work at the Robot Restaurant in Harbin
 They can deliver food, cook, usher and entertain diners
 The popular restaurant opened in June last year
 Service with a smile has turned sci-fi at this restaurant as diners
are waited on and cooked for by robots
 At Robot Restaurant 20 robots deliver food to the table, cook
dumplings and noodles, usher diners and entertain them in
Harbin, Heilongjiang province in China.

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 When a diner walks in, an usher robot extends their mechanic
arm to the side and says 'Earth person hello. Welcome to the
Robot Restaurant
 After diners have ordered, robots in the kitchen set to work
cooking their meals
 Once the dish is prepared, a robot waiter, which runs along
tracks on the floor, carries it from kitchen to table.
 Prepared dishes are placed on a suspended conveyor belt and
when the plate reaches the right table the mechanical arms lift it
off and set it down.
 As they eat, a singing robot entertains diners.
 The restaurant has gained international fame and continues to
grow in popularity since it opened in June last year.
FUNCTIONING
 The future of hotel technology has arrived: robot butlers, digital
concierges and apps that let you choose your own room are just
the beginning.
 If a guest is staying at the Aloft hotel in Cupertino, Calif. and
asks for a comb or a late-night snack, the guest may be surprised
at who -- or what -- brings it to the room.
 If you plan to stay in Cupertino's high-tech Aloft Hotel in the
near future, don't be surprised if you open your door to a 3-foot-

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tall robot carrying extra towels or breakfast. See, it's the
Starwood property's new butler (officially called A.L.O. Botlr,
which is short for "robot butler," of course) programmed to
assist the hotel's concierge in catering to your requests.
 When a guest calls the front desk asking for something -- let's
say a bottle of water and a toothbrush -- employees load up the
basket up top, the room number is programmed and ALO is on
its way. Once it arrives, the guest can enter a rating on its touch
screen

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 The room number will be programmed and it’s on its way to the
programmed room.

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 Using a combination of sonar wave technology, lasers and
cameras, the "botlr" avoids obstacles, as well as humans. It can
also communicate with the hotel's elevators using Wi-Fi
 It reaches the room and gives an alert to the guest.

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 Guest will pick their requirements.
 And it asks the guest confirmation about their requirements

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 The above mentioned is the functioning of robotic butler in
Robotic Butlers at Aloft Hotel in Cupertino, California.
 Now we will discuss about the world’s first robot staffed hotel
to open in Japan.
 For all the discussion of robots intruding on everyday life, a
robot’s ability to perform anything beyond basic tasks is still
very much the stuff of lab experiments.
 Most robots are, in fact, either simple autonomous vacuum
cleaners made by companies like iRobot or several types of
lawn mowers and trimmers.
 The International Federation of Robotics reported that 16,067
professional service robots were sold internationally in 2012,
only 2 percent more than the 15,776 sold in 2011.
 “The collaborative robot application, whether it’s in factories,
hospitals or restaurants, has a big future,” said Jeff Bornstein,
president of the Robotic Industries Association. “But it’s been
very slow in terms of non factory applications to emerge. It’s
still going to be a while.”
 Starwood uses the aloft hotel near the Apple campus as a test
bed for the technology-oriented hotel chain’s newest gadgets
and services. They experiment with things like easy ways to get
digital content from your smart phone and tablet onto your hotel
room’s television screen. And, of course, you can unlock the
door of your hotel room with an app on your smart phone.
 So it was only natural that hotel executives were receptive when
Savioke, a robotics start-up in Santa Clara, Calif., cold-called
Starwood earlier this year with the proposal that the Aloft chain

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add a service robot to its array of “tech forward” gadgets and
services.
 Beyond having a butler’s “collar” painted on its chest, Botlr is
not humanoid in appearance and it is not meant to appear male
or female. Indeed, it looks a little bit like R2-D2 might appear if
it had been put on a diet. Or perhaps like a miniaturized nuclear
power plant’s cooling tower.
 It would not generate a second glance if it were stationary in a
hotel lobby. But on the move, it can reach speeds of up to four
miles per hour. That’s about the pace of a brisk walk, and
adequate for Botlr to hustle razors, toothbrushes, smart phone
chargers, snacks and even the morning paper to any of the
hotel’s 150 rooms in two to three minutes.
 When the robot reaches the guest’s door, the system calls the
room, alerting the guest to the delivery.
 The robot, which has a camera and other sensors, can recognize
that the room door has been opened and then lift the lid on the
storage bin that holds the delivery. A flat panel display at the top
of the robot is used for the guest to enter a “review” rather than
giving a tip. In return for a positive review, the robot will do a
small dance before it departs.
 Perhaps the most impressive capability of the new robot is its
ability to independently make its way to upper floors. When it
reaches the elevator, it wirelessly sends a command for the door
to open and then maneuvers into the elevator car, taking care to
stay out of the way of any human passengers.
 When it returns to the lobby, Botlr can plug itself into a
recharging station while it awaits its next errand.

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 Savioke was founded last year by Steve Cousins, a former IBM
and Xerox Park research manager who more recently was
president and chief executive of Willow Garage, a Silicon
Valley robotics laboratory founded in 2006 by Scott Hassan,
who wrote Google’s first search engine.
 Before entering into an agreement with Starwood to deploy
delivery robots, Mr. Cousins said that Savioke was interested in
a range of service industry applications like assisted living
facilities and hotels. The company would not disclose how much
the robots cost.
 Like Mr. McGuiness, Mr. Cousins deflected questions that
robots would displace jobs, and pointed out that the company’s
motto was “Robots for humanity.”
 “Over time we want to help all people, but especially people
with disabilities,” he said. He added that he shared the
perspective of economists who believe that while technology
may destroy particular job types, over all the economy will
continue to grow and new kinds of jobs will be created by high
tech.
 The number of jobs in the world, he argued, has grown since
society began automating.
 “If you really want to create a lot of jobs, just outlaw tractors,”
he said. “The work force would have to go back on the farm, but
nobody is willing to do that.”
 As a hotel application, however, he said he saw the initial
version of his simple delivery robot as freeing up the hotel desk
clerk from having to run up to the room, giving the staff more
time with the guests.

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 Botlr will have a Twitter hash tag, MeetBotlr, but Mr. Cousins
said he did not expect robotics technology to advance quickly
enough to permit the robot to mimic the obsequiousness of a
human bellboy looking for a nice tip
TECHNICALLY HOW IT WORKS
BellBot - A Hotel Assistant System Using Mobile Robots
 Abstract There is a growing interest in applying intelligent
technologies to assistant robots.
 These robots should have a number of characteristics such as
autonomy, easy reconfiguration; robust perception systems and
they should be oriented towards close interaction with humans.
In this paper we present an automatic hotel assistant system
based on a series of mobile platforms that interact with guests
and service personnel to help them in different tasks.
 These tasks include bringing small items to customers, showing
them different points of interest in the hotel, accompanying the
guests to their rooms and providing them with general
information.
 Each robot can also autonomously handle some daily scheduled
tasks. Apart from user‐initiated and scheduled tasks, the robots
can also perform tasks based on events triggered by the
building’s automation system (BAS).

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 The robots and the BAS are connected to a central server via a
local area network. The system was developed with the
Robotics Integrated Development Environment (RIDE) and was
tested intensively in different environments.
 Keywords Mobile Robots, Social Robots, Intelligent Building,
Robot Control Architecture
 Introduction For a long time, service robots have been a science
fiction vision of the future.
 Those robots were mostly intended as humanoid assistants,
capable of helping people in different ways with sophisticated
communication systems.
 The construction of that kind of versatile and robust robot is still
far from reality. However, over the last few years a few
successful examples of service robots have appeared on the
market.
 A couple of examples are the cleaning robot Roomba and the
military robot PackBot. As technology evolves, these kinds of
robots are expected to grow in number.
 Some governments and companies are investing in service robot
research as a response to an emerging aging population.
Research has been mainly conducted on robots that provide
support to humans in a variety of forms and fields. These forms
of help include social interaction robots’ rehabilitation robotic,
tour guide robots, delivery robots, and nurse robots.

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 The research presented here is oriented towards the construction
of a hotel assistant system where robots would be able to
execute tasks autonomously, such as guide guests to their rooms
and other places in the hotel, provide hotel information to
guests, or deliver small items to their rooms. Robots would need
to be able to interact with some of the building’s elements, such
as elevators or automatic doors.

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 In the proposed system all the devices in the building are
connected to the local network over Ethernet using the Modbus
field bus.
 A module in the central server controls all the actuators
connected to Modbus according to the needs of the other
modules and communicates changes in the sensors.
 Tasks can be requested at any time and the system should be
designed so that it assigns them to robots in an efficient way.
 In the proposed framework a process in the central server is
tasked with allocating the resources needed for each task.

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 The above picture describes the system architecture and
describes the main elements of the BAS
 The connections between different elements in the BAS are
shown in Figure 2. The starting point is the classical BAS.
 Sensors and actuators positioned throughout the building are
connected to the central unit that controls and monitors the
edifice state.
 The classic BAS is connected to a computer (Central server) that
registers all the events produced by the different sensors.
 In our case, all these devices are connected via Modbus using
the building’s local network (Ethernet). In our approach, a set of
autonomous mobile robots are also connected to the central
server via Wi‐Fi, GPRS or 3G.
 Guest and maintenance staff can monitor the system using two
different graphic user interfaces (GUIs).
 Whilst robots are not performing any task, they should be
connected to the charging stations located in a special room of
the hotel. A typical task might start when one guest requests an
item such as a soda can from the bar.
 In this case the guest should use the guest GUI in his or her
room which is connected to the central server.
 . In the central server a task manager will assign a task to a robot
or will queue the task if all the robots are busy.

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 Once the task is assigned, the robot will plan a route to the bar,
navigate to the bar and then order the soda from the bartender.
 The order is also shown in the robot’s touch screen and the
robot’s belly‐box doors (Figure 3) will open. Once the bartender
sets the order in the belly‐box, he or she must confirm having
done so on the screen;
 Then the robot will close the doors. The next step is to navigate
to the guest room, asks the guest to take the soda and open the
belly‐ box doors.
 After the guest receives the soda, he or she should confirm this
on the touch screen and the robot will close the belly‐box doors.
 Finally, if there are pending tasks, the robot will start a new one,
otherwise, it will return to the battery charging station.
 The robots we have designed a wheeled, friendly‐looking
prototype. Using this design, we have built two units named
Sacarino (Cartif Foundation and University of Valladolid) and
BellBot (University of Vigo).
 Both robots look alike and have similar sensor and actuator
capabilities. The Uncanny Valley theory [11] states that as a
robot is made more humanlike in its appearance and motion, the
emotional response from a human being towards the robot will
become increasingly positive and empathic.

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 However, when the appearance is too close to that of humans
but still obviously not human, there comes a point where the
response quickly turns to that of strong repulsion.
 Conversely, as the appearance and motion continue to become
less distinguishable from a human being, the emotional response
becomes positive once more and empathy levels approach those
of human‐to‐ human interactions.
BELLBOOT BASE
 Some robot cists have criticized the theory and other researchers
consider the uncanny Valley to be somewhat flawed.

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 Even though these androids might look like humans, their
motions are, so far, quite different.
 Animated toy looking robots can be as expressive, or even more
so, than androids and they are usually easier to control.
 Since our main interest is expressivity, we decided to build a
robot with a simple toy‐like appearance.
 The robot base shown in Figure 3 contains all the navigation
devices: Two brushless Long way motors (80W/24V, 6.2N/m.
 One for translation and the other for rotation. LiFePO4
26V/40Ah battery that provides power autonomy for 3 to 5
hours.
 Bumpers. All the skin works as a bumper so that, if• the robot
hits any obstacle, it will be detected. Sonar. It has a ring of 16
sonars whose measurements• work by using the obstacle
avoidance method (BCM) [18]. Hokuyo URG‐04LX laser.
Information provided by• this laser is also used by the reactive
control (BCM). Sick LMS100/10000 laser. The readings
obtained by• this laser are for localization, obstacle avoidance,
and map building purposes.
 The robot body (Figure 4) includes most of the devices used for
social interaction. Most of the on-board devices, including the
motors, servos, sonar’s, bumpers and touch sensors, are
connected to a CAN bus using the RoboCAN protocol [14]. The
control unit (mini‐ITX VIA EPIA EN1200) constitutes the
master module in RoboCAN and the slave modules are control
cards with a PIC microcontroller.

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 The slave modules in this prototype are four control cards with
corresponding PIC microcontrollers.
 Module 1 is with a dsPIC30F4012. It includes a predictive PID
controller to control the velocity of one of the motors.

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 It also uses information from the encoder. This module includes
a few bumpers and it publishes a CAN frame when a bumper is
activated.
 Module 2 is with a dsPIC30F4012. It is very similar to module 1
and controls the velocity of the other motor.
 Module 3 is with a PIC18F258 and controls half of the sonar
sensors and some bumpers.
 Module 4 is a copy of module 3 with a PIC18F258 that controls
the other half of the sonar sensors and some bumpers.
 Module 5 is with a dsPIC30F4011 and it controls all the
servomotors of the body and sensors, including the touch
sensors and other digital inputs.
 Besides the devices connected to RoboCAN, the robot includes:
The Sick laser, connected to a RS232 port.
 The Hokuyo laser, connected to a USB bus. The camera, located
in one eye, connected to a PCI frame grabber, installed on the
mini‐ITX board. The speakers and microphone with
corresponding sockets on the mini‐ITX board.
 Robot control architecture the on‐board mini‐ITX PC runs on
Linux OS and we use a modular architecture developed with
RIDE (Robotics Integrated Development Environment) to
control the different robot devices, navigate the robot, connect
to Wi‐Fi and perform the robot’s different tasks.

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 The structure of this modular control architecture. Even though
the different modules are organized into four sets, they can be
mapped using the three layer architecture popularized by
Bonasso et al.
 The hardware servers and control sets implement the functional
layer while the RoboGraph dispatch implements the executive
and planning layer.
 Finally, it includes a set of processes with which it can interact
with users and connect to other processes for multi‐robot
applications.
 Certain navigation modules are imported from CARMEN such
as localizes navigator and the Pioneer base hardware servers.
Unlike CARMEN, however, motion control is divided into high‐
level (strategic) planning and lower‐level (tactical) collision
avoidance using the BCM method.
 CARMEN integrates obstacles from the map into its workings
and plans a new trajectory accordingly, in order to avoid
obstacles. Integrating all but the lowest‐level motor control into
a single module can produce optimal plans.
 However, due to the lack of precision in the localization system,
the obstacle integration process can narrow some openings in
the map. When the opening is only a little bit wider than the
robot diameter, this difference can lead path planning to discard
a possible path through that opening.
 We observed this behaviour with CARMEN in our office
environment on several occasions, when the robot had to go

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through very narrow doors and corridors. To avoid this problem,
in our system, obstacles are not included in the map and are
avoided using BCM.

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FINAL OUTPUT
 As for the tests in the hotel (below mentioned figure), for two
months Sacarino has been working, mainly providing
information to users and validating the performance of the
dialogue system.
 Its navigation activities are restricted to the floor level since the
elevator automation ability was not put in place.
 Sacarino is able to navigate and escort guests to different
locations in the hotel upon request (restaurant, bar and meeting
rooms).
 The objective is to incorporate new functionalities to Sacarino
and to validate them during the next year, according to two
considerations: system robustness (analyzing maintenance cost)
and users’ perception of the utility of the service.
 Conclusions and discussion the application presented here
shows the advantages of using mobile robots for certain routine,
daily tasks in hotels.
 The system uses the two‐level centralized communication
system provided by RIDE. The first level communicates all the
modules on-board using IPC.
 The second level connects the different robots, users and the
building control unit using JIPC. The division into two
communication systems is intended to deal with different levels
of communication requirements.

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 Robots can autonomously handle several tasks even if they are
eventually disconnected from the central server. However, there
are some critical moments when they need to be connected, for
example, when they need to request access to the elevators that
are controlled from the central server.
 The same RIDE programming tool based on Petri nets
(RoboGraph) was used to implement the executive layer of each
mobile robot and the executive layer of the global application.
 Power autonomy is achieved with the use of a recharging
mechanism that includes a charging station, an on-board device
and a low‐level module (docker) that locates the station and
docks the robot.
 This module is also in charge of monitoring the battery level and
notifying the task manager when it reaches a critical level.
When robots do not have a task assigned to them, they should be
charging.
 Most of the work in this research was focused on two topics: the
first was to build the supervisory central system that integrates
all the robots and the BAS and the second was to build robots
with social interaction capabilities which could be integrated
into this application.
 The second topic has been addressed before by several
researchers, working on social interaction robots rehabilitation
robotics tour guide robots delivery robots and nurse robots

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 However, most of these applications use only one robot and
none of them provide mechanisms to integrate the robots with
the building’s automation system (BAS). On the other hand,
there are applications such as robot based integrated logistics
systems which include a supervisory system.
 The purpose of this supervisory system is to assign missions to
robots and to control devices in buildings such as doors and
elevators. However, these robots do not have social interaction
capabilities.
 In this research we integrate both topics using a centralized
control system which is in charge of creating new missions
according to users’ requests and scheduled tasks, assigning
missions to robots, monitoring the execution of the missions and
coordinating robot actions with the BAS.

37. 37
 The final design of the Robot which will be hired for world’s
first robot staffed hotel to open in Japan.

38. 38
GUEST SATISFACTION
 Fifty-six percent of respondents are interested in utilizing
robotic room service.
 The most preferred robotic function is delivering items to
rooms, cited by 51 percent of respondents.
 Half of respondents age 25-34 are more likely to choose a hotel
with a robot than without one.
Guest Excitement Level for Robot Services
 One reason for the almost even split among these three opinion
groups could be simple demographics: older individuals are

39. 39
generally less interested in using new technology than their
younger counterparts.
 However, according to Emmet Cole, an analyst at Robotics
Business Review, the varied results could also be a reflection of
the novelty of consumer robotics in general.
 “It's difficult to read too much into surveys on consumer
robotics at this point in time, because the technology is so new
and humans and robots are only really starting to interact with
each other in recent years,” he explains.
 Majority of Respondents Interested in Utilizing Robotic
Services
 Excitement about hotel robots may be split, but interest in using
such technology isn’t: 56 percent of respondents reported some
degree of interest in using these services, and 22 percent said
they were “extremely interested” in doing so. Still, 44 percent of
respondents reported no interest in using robotic services.

40. 40
Guest Interest in Utilizing Robotic Services
 Exactly what people find unappealing about robots is a question
for another survey, but research suggests that some may
perceive robots to be potentially malevolent, or even dangerous
coverage on spy drones and other similar technology may raise
both safety and privacy concerns.
 To contrast the image of an unfeeling or unsafe robot, Savioke
Strategic Ambassador Izumi Yaskawa says the botlr was
specifically designed to put those who interact with it at ease.
 “We’re really conscious of the human interface with the robot,
so many edges or sharpness on the robot’s exterior has been
nullified…It’s a very gentle, round contour,” Yaskawa explains.
“It interacts with little sounds and little movements, like a puppy
or a child.”

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 As for privacy concerns, the botlr does not contain any cameras
that could snap photos of guests, according to Tim Smith, a
public relations representative for Savioke.
 The robot does record which items are delivered and at what
time, but no identifying information on the guest is ever
requested.
 In addition, the appeal of certain consumer robots already on the
market may help increase the adoption of service robots in
hotels.
 For example, the Roomba, an autonomous vacuuming robot
made by iRobot, has a highly attached user base, with 80
percent of owners saying that they name their devices.
 Likewise, PARO, a therapeutic robot resembling a stuffed
animal seal, has shown to bring comfort to nursing home
residents.
Delivery Service Is Top-Preferred Robotic Function
 Robots could potentially be created to perform a variety of hotel
tasks. However, our survey indicates most respondents (51
percent) prefer a delivery robot.
 As for the other half of respondents, their preferences are split:
26 percent prefer assistance with check-in/check out, 18 percent
prefer being offered dining/activity options and 5 percent prefer
room service meal delivery.

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Preferred Service Performed by Robot
 It’s possible that respondents prefer automated item delivery and
check-in/check-out because of a preference for self-service in
general.
 According to research conducted by the Harvard Business
Review, most customers prefer self-service over interacting with
an employee; a finding supported by the ever-increasing rise of
self-checkout kiosks in stores, airports and hotels.
 In fact, the Aloft Cupertino adopted automatic guest check-
in/check-out machines (the second most-preferred robot service)
long before the botlr.

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 Conveniently, what respondents prefer robots to be used for
aligns with what they’re most capable of doing. According to
Smith, current technology limits most robots to performing
repetitive tasks in predictable environments, such as hotel
delivery.
 However, even if most people wanted a robot that delivered
room service meals, it’s unlikely that a robot could do the job as
well as a person.
 For example, an employee can intuitively understand a complaint
that food is cold, or offer a personal recommendation for their
favourite local restaurant. Robots, at least for now, cannot.
 Robots can only do a couple of things really well … we want to
nail delivery,” Yaskawa explains.
Interest in Robotic Hotel Service Varies Significantly by
Age Group
 Drilling deeper into guests’ interest in using robotic hotel
services, we found that interest level varies significantly by age.
 Younger demographics report the most interest, with
approximately one-third of respondents age 18-24 and 25-34
reporting an interest in using robotic hotel services.

44. 44
 For each of the older age groups in the survey, however,
including age 45-54, 55-64 and 65 and up, interest level peaked
in the single digits.
Guest Interest in Utilizing Robot Services by Age
 This data suggests that hotels with a younger target clientele
could help attract new guests by offering robotic services.
According to Yaskawa, the mid-range hotel market, a popular
choice with younger travellers, is exactly what Savioke had in
mind when designing SaviOne.
 “In high end hotels, the guests want to have people waiting on
you,” he explains. “SaviOne fits better with the business model
of mid-range hotels, so that’s the kind of location that we’re
looking for.”

45. 45
 Appealing to the younger consumer played a major part in
deciding to debut the botlr at Aloft Cupertino, says Brian
McGuiness, the global brand leader for Starwood Specialty
Select Brands.
 Created by Starwood in 2005, the aloft hotel brand was created
with the younger, digital-savvy business traveller in mind.
McGuiness also notes that guests at the Cupertino location,
which is based in the heart of Silicon Valley, are especially
receptive to new technology.
 “Our guests are always seeking the latest in technological
advances and hospitality trends, so we’re thrilled to have them
experience the botlr first-hand,” he says.
Millennial Most Likely to Choose Hotels With Robotic Service
 Next, we wanted to learn how guests’ interest in robotic services
would impact the decision of which hotel to choose. We found
that the 18-24 and 25-34 age groups, often collectively referred
to as millennial, reported the highest likelihood of choosing a
hotel with robotic service, with 27 percent of 18-24 year olds and
50 percent of 25-34 year olds indicating this technology would
affect their decision.
 For the other age groups in our sample, a hotel with a robot
largely had either no effect, or even a negative effect on hotel
selection
Likelihood of Choosing Hotel with Robot by Age

46. 46
 Millennial also reported feelings of excitement surrounding a
hotel robot, with 28 percent of 18-24 year olds and 27 percent of
25-34 year olds reporting that they found a hotel with a robot
very exciting.
 The data is nearly opposite for older ages, with 25 percent of 55-
64 year olds and 32 percent of those 65 years or older reporting
that hotels with robots as not exciting.
Excitement Level for Hotel with Robot by Age

47. 47
Guest Excitement Level for Robot Services, by Gender

48. 48
 However, the slightly dampened excitement level of women in
comparison to men may be due to the fact that women feel less
comfortable with this technology than men.
 Among respondents in our sample, 41 percent of women said
they were comfortable with robot services, compared to 59
percent of men.
 The reason for the split may be a matter of privacy concerns,
with women being more concerned about potentially being
photographed or recorded by a robot.
Guests Comfort Level with Robot Services, by Gender

49. 49
 Technology with subtle recording capabilities, such as Google
Glass, combined with highly publicized cases of women having
personal photos posted online without permission have brought
the issue of privacy and technology into the spotlight.
 So, even though the botlr does not contain any video recording
equipment or cameras, the perception that it could may
influence comfort levels.
Technology Trends in the Hotel Industry – The self-service
 Introduction what in the Airline industry already is taken for
granted is still not very well established in the Hotel industry.
 Self-service and automation in hotels is far not that common as
in other industries. Long queues on the hotel reception on peak
times are still the norm.
 But why is the hotel industry dragging behind? The aim of this
trend study is to evaluate reasons for this phenomenon and to
show the big picture of self service in the accommodation
industry.
 History The first Company to approach self-service in the hotel
industry was NCR Corporation in the 1980s. Although this
approach was still not about self-check-in but they introduced
ATMs in the hospitality environment.

50. 50
 The NCR Corporation is still developing technological solutions
for hotels, airlines and airports as well as car rental companies.
Another big partner of the hotel industry concerning self-service
solutions was IBM which provided in the early 21st century
several big hotel chains with self-service check-in machines.
 Present Situation In a world where tablet PC’s and smart phones
are becoming almost indispensable and where there is an
existing application for almost everything, the hotel industry
still lags behind in matters of the introduction of automated self
service facilities.
 Foremost Bigger hotel chains like Hilton and Novotel, which
belongs to the Accor group, have introduced (foremost in their
business hotels) new technologies to substitute long queues at
the reception desks.
 They provide self-check-in machines in their lobby’s as well as
possibilities to check in online and wireless with smart phone 4.
How it works the new technology allows guests to check in via
their mobile device already before the arrival.
 Once in the hotel, he can pick up his room key from a machine
which recognizes the reservation and the check-in for example
through a printed or mobile barcode. 5. Advantages The
advantages of a self-check system are obvious:
 The reduction of the queues in front of the reception desks helps
on the one hand staff to handle more important tasks like the
assistance to customers with problems and special wishes.

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 On the other hand it enables customers to affect the check-in
themselves immediately which saves time. Foremost for
Business clients, a self-service possibility makes a hotel
attractive.
 On the long term, a self-check system leads trough more
efficiency to cost reductions for staff. 6. Disadvantages For
some customers, personal assistance is still of high importance
and part of the experience.
 Although not all the personal assistance can be replaced by
machines, through the self-service a big part of this assistance
falls apart. Another disadvantage is the fact that a system like
this is a big investment and to implement one, a hotel needs not
only a lot of funds for the hard- and software itself, but also for
the recruitment of the staff to help customers with the new
technology.
 Last but not least: Not all customers have the ability to conduct
a self-check in, thinking in elderly people for example which
may lack the know-how.
 Conclusion providing a self-service possibility to the clients
helps a hotel or hotel chain without doubt to position itself as
happening and modern. It provides great advantages for clients
which do not have a lot of time (e.g. business clients) or which
particularly like using new technology.
 With the advancing technologies, customers also develop
different expectations and wishes. Thus, the hotel industry is
well advised to keep up with those new technological
possibilities.

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 Nevertheless, it would be dangerous to focus only on self-
service, because personal service has a big tradition in the hotel
industry and a lot of customers would not want to miss out on it
(more or less, depending on the target group).
 This could be the reason why the establishment process in the
hotel industry is such a long haul.
 In my opinion, the key to success is to find the right balance
between self-service and personal assistance, also considering,
that self-service in the hotel industry still has a long way to go
until it is as well established and known by clients as for
example in the airline/airport industry.
Vision of a robot butler
 ABSTRACT In this paper Care-O-bot® 3 is introduced, which
is designed as a prototype for a household robot. In contrast to
merely technology driven service robot developments, many
considerations on embodiment were conducted.
 In particular, Care-O-bot® 3 excels in its user-interaction
oriented design. Nevertheless, it is equipped with leading edge
technology, which is highly integrated into a very compact
form. This convergence of design and technology accounts for
the idea of Care-O-bot® 3 being a product vision for a robot
butler.

53. 53
 Keywords Domestic robot design, convergence of design and
technology, robot butler. 1. INTRODUCTION In the last
decades a lot of robotic platforms have evolved, most of which
have one thing in common: they are purely technology driven
development platforms with little emphasis on end user related
issues like design or usability.
 The target of the service robot introduced in this paper, Care-O-
bot® 3, is to develop an overall concept suitable as a product
vision, combining technological aspects with a compact and
user friendly design.
 Therefore, this article introduces user studies about an
appropriate appearance for a robot helper in people’s homes.
Furthermore, the two paradigms of anthropomorphism and
techno Orphism are presented and the advantages and
disadvantages discussed with respect to their suitability for a
domestic robot design. Finally, the design of Care-O-bot® 3 is
presented and how it was influenced and inspired by these
considerations.
 Finally a user interaction scenario was implemented to show the
user interaction concept.
 HOW SHOULD A ROBOT BUTLER LOOK LIKE? The
classical field of human-computer interaction (HCI) is well
established since many decades, while human-robot interaction
(HRI) is a fairly new branch of HCI and has gained a lot of
attention recently

54. 54
 Concerning a mobile service robot, additional aspects with
respect to user acceptance and their expectations have to be
considered. So, what are people’s views on the role of an
intelligent service robot in their home? Different studies have
been conducted to investigate people’s attitudes towards
domestic robots.
 Syrdal carried out a survey in order to examine adults’ attitudes
towards an intelligent service robot.
 Participants were 21-60 years old, while most of them were in
the age of 21-30. Results show that most of the participants were
positive towards the idea of an intelligent service robot and view
it as a domestic machine or smart intelligent equipment that can
be ‘controlled’, but is intelligent enough to perform typical
household tasks.
 On the other hand, Scopelliti investigated people’s
representation of domestic robots across three different
generations and found that while young people tend to have
positive feelings towards domestic robots, elderly people were
more frightened of the prospect of a robot in the home.
 Studies within the European project COGNIRON assessed
people’s attitudes towards robots via questionnaires following
live human-robot interaction trials.
 Responses from 28 adults (the majority in the age range 26-45)
indicated that a large proportion of participants were in favour
of a robot companion, but would prefer it to have a role of an
assistant (79%), machine/appliance (71%) or servant (46%).

55. 55
 Few wanted a robot companion to be a ‘friend’. The majority of
the participants wanted the robot to be able to do household
tasks. Also, participants preferred a robot that is predictable,
controllable, considerate and polite.
 Humanlike communication was desired for a robot companion;
however, human-like behaviour and appearance were less
important.
 These three studies, conducted in different European countries,
agreed with respect to the desired role of a service robot in the
home: an assistant able to carry out useful tasks, and not
necessarily a ‘friend’ with human-like appearance.
 These considerations led to the definition of a robot companion
which must a) be able to perform a range of useful tasks or
functions, and b) carry out these tasks or functions in a manner
that is socially acceptable and comfortable for people it shares
the environment with and/or it interacts with.
 This creates the following challenge for the development of
such a robot: we have to bridge the gap between functionality,
which goes along with hard technological properties of e.g. an
industrial robot, and social acceptance, which goes along with
the comfortable design of e.g. an electronic pet.
ADVANTAGES& DISADVANTAGES

56. 56
 There are lot of advantages, they can work faster than people,
mass production as a result will reduce time and costs, they can
work under severe work conditions without getting sick or tired.
 .There might be some dangerous steps in the procedure. The
robot will and can take such risks
 Advantages commonly attributed to automation include higher
production rates and increased productivity, more efficient use
of materials, better product quality, improved safety, shorter
workweeks for labour, and reduced factory lead times
 Higher output and increased productivity have been two of the
biggest reasons in justifying the use of automation.
 Despite the claims of high quality from good workmanship by
humans, automated systems typically perform the
manufacturing process with less variability than human workers,
resulting in greater control and consistency of product quality.
Also, increased process control makes more efficient use of
materials, resulting in less scrap.
 The disadvantages are they require highly specialized people to
design it and maintain it, any problem regardless if minor or
major could make the machine abandoned and useless, also it
could lead for an increase in unemployment, which may lead for
crime increase.
 If the robot made the wrong step, it cannot correct itself.
 It might cost a lot for its charges and stuff.

57. 57
 If the usage of robots increases in hotel industry human should
be worried about their job.
 Hotel management should be worried about guest satisfaction as
the robots can’t convince the guest if something goes wrong
with him.
 Robot can’t give a smile which is mandatory in hotel industry.
Humans are created because there are few things which have to
be done by humans only not machines.
 Yes I do agree there is a need of technology in today’s world,
but it should not be like it will be harmful to humans.
 At the end of the machines are operated by humans, humans are
not operated by machines.
 In hotel industry people will be coming from different places to
stay in our hotel. Robots can’t understand the culture of those
different people.
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
 In a country with the largest population, shortage of manpower
or skilled labour is not a short coming.
 Employment is the necessity and for a growing and vibrant
economy the introduction of robots would only result in the
reduction in employment and increase in unemployment.

58. 58
 Robots do increase the output in production of the service
needed but at the same time at what cost is it?
 Also at the same time robots needs special care and
maintenance, along with storage area.
 If any kind of damage like the wear and tear occurs in the robot
either the parts will have to be imported or the whole robot will
have to be shipped back which will result in larger amount of
losses.
 The tools needed to run such kind of technology is not available
in our country. The interaction of humans to machine is not
comfortable as to the human to human communication.
 The concept of robot in hotel industry is introduced only in
California. In Japan it is about to introduce in mid of this year.
CONCLUSION
 Our data indicates that millennial are currently the population
segment most excited about hotel service robots.
 Thus, it seems that hotels catering to this demographic seem
poised to benefit the most by adding robotic services.
 This technology also provides opportunities for efficiency
benefits, as staff can spend less time delivering items and more
time interacting with guests in other capacities.

59. 59
 According to McGuiness, this was the primary objective in mind
when deciding to introduce the botlr at Aloft Cupertino.
 “This new technology enables our hotel associates to make more
time for what they do best; provide exceptional and personalized
service for each and every one of our guests,” he says.
 In fact, the initial success of the botlr pilot program has
Starwood looking to introduce a botlr at nearly 100 of its hotels
around the world in 2015 and beyond.
 As for other hotels interested in adding a botlr, Savioke is
offering an early adopter program for select hotels starting in
2015.
 To ensure consistent quality and controlling costs, quick-service
restaurants or hotels have been in the forefront of automating
their operations whenever possible.
 using modern robotics technologies to improve operations in
star hotels. Instead of applying robotics technology for direct
labour replacement, robotics can augment workers’ cognitive
capacity.
 This alternative application of robotics technologies
encompasses two key components: (1) robotic sensing for
demand prediction and (2) robotic planning for production
management of hotels.
 The improvements possible with modern robotics technologies
and the challenges of implementing it.

60. 60
 Unusual for quick-service, uses a fresh, cook-to-order concept,
which resulted in backlogs during busy times. Saxby’s robotics
application substantially reduced both service times and food
waste.
 . The system tracks customer arrivals, starts the cooking process
as customers arrive, and then gives employees specific
directions to expedite cooking and service, so that wait times
have been reduced.
 Industrial design to minimize failure rate.
 Silent motion and operation to give the impression that the robot
is “gliding on air”
 Automation include higher production rates and increased
productivity, more efficient use of materials, better product
quality, improved safety, shorter workweeks for labour, and
reduced factory lead times.
Recommendation
The purpose of the project is to recommend further improvements
and promote the robotics in hotels. The robotics in hotels explores and
promotes producing advanced technology in hotel housekeeping and
services recommended as an improvements and promotion of robots.
In addition, this report recommends further work to:
 make sure that further materials will be required to
manufacture and repair the robot
 quantify the specialised people to handle it

61. 61
 establish the optimal scale of production of robots by analysing
market demand, human efforts, employment and set-up costs;
 Introduce in India and get specialised persons for it as this
technology not at all introduced in India and nobody is aware
of it.
Bibliography
The collection of data are from the following websites:
 http://www.computerworld.com/article/2895791/hotel-
guests-open-the-door-to-a-robotic-butler.html
 http://www.livescience.com/49711-japanese-robot-hotel.html
 http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/08/high-tech-robot-hotel-
japan/

62. 62
 http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/13/starwood-introduces-
robotic-butlers-at-aloft-hotel-in-palo-alto/
 http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/13/starwood-introduces-
robotic-butlers-at-aloft-hotel-in-palo-alto/
 http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/02/12/check-in-
to-japan-s-creepy-robot-hotel.html