Many products are generic, in that they can be used to solve similar problems in different markets. We built a cute, autonomous mobile robot, called Relay, that was designed, initially, for hotels to deliver goods from the front desk to any guest room. Relay has a locking compartment to hold items such as towels, snacks and other amenities, rides the elevators by itself, and knows how to navigate safely and smoothly around people and obstacles like luggage and laundry carts…
How does the robot recognize which floor its on, without network connectivity?
One of the classic startup mantras is to create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that can be tested. Implement only the features that are absolutely necessary to get started, because what you’re really testing is the reaction of the market to your product. But it’s sometimes hard to know which features are necessary, and as a result first deployments often require urgent engineering fixes to make the customers happy.
Big maps can pose major challenges for robots, both building them and operating with them. Successfully navigating in large buildings requires substantial engineering. Relay robots have come a long way since their first deployments 10 years ago.
Relay the robot navigates through a hospital obstacle course.
Enhancing the guest experience with robot coffee deliveries in the morning and more.
As hospital pharmacies across the country face a severe shortage of pharmacy technicians, the need for innovation has never been more apparent. Hospital delivery robots are an efficient and cost-effective solution to automate the process of medication deliveries, freeing pharmacy technicians to concentrate on the crucial task of filling prescriptions and contributing to patient care.
While the worst of COVID is over, the same cannot be said for the national nursing shortage. As we reported earlier this year, the problem is actually getting worse. So hospitals are turning to RelayRx delivery robots to help solve the shortage. Fully autonomous hospital delivery robots are efficiently relieving the strain on skilled healthcare clinicians, technicians, and pharmacy workforce despite the labor shortage.
Travel is making a comeback and it’s getting a lift from a new breed of jetsetter: the Bleisure traveler, who mixes business and pleasure. And their new BFF - best friend forever - is the Relay hotel delivery robot.
AI-powered chatbots have become part of everyday life. Each enables you to create convenience and save time. You can play songs you want to hear. Instantly check the weather. Easily order your next meal. The time savings are endless. Now, chatbots like these interact seamlessly with autonomous Relay Service Robots in hotels.
Despite the ebb & flow of the economy, travel is a high priority for consumers once again, yet the hospitality industry is still facing a major labor shortage. Hotel occupancy has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Robots are everywhere, especially in the hospitality industry. However, different hotels deploy robots for different reasons. For luxury hotels, service delivery robots provide a wow factor, showing guests they are keeping with the times. But, for limited- and select-service hotels where convenience is king, delivery robots are mission critical, filling labor gaps and enhancing the guest experience.
The helpers need help. And, service delivery robots are a simple and efficient way to come to the aid of nurses. They are cost effective, can work 24/7, and autonomously and swiftly navigate hospitals to enable nurses to spend less time making deliveries and more time with patients.
Besides making mission-critical daily deliveries, robots in hotels and hospitals serve as mobile “billboards” for your brand. See how these creative designs complement teams during the continuing labor shortage.
The ongoing healthcare labor shortage is now bordering on a “public health crisis”. The nursing profession is also experiencing similar staff shortages brought on by stress and burn-out. It all adds up to a perfect storm of what’s ailing the healthcare industry as staff demand is higher than ever. So, what’s the remedy? Robots.
We routinely talk to hotel executives about the challenges they face. Of late, the issue weighing most heavily on the shoulders of ownership and general managers is the scarcity of housekeeping talent. Relay robots can ride elevators and deliver towels and linens to every room in the hotel, and other things like marketplace/pantry items, toiletries, and DoorDash orders.
These BEST READS from 2022 focus on healthcare industry challenges, outlining concrete steps to improve your hospital operations. No longer a novelty, robots are a mainstream technology, taking over routine deliveries which give first-line healthcare professionals more patient-facing time so they can work at the top of their license.
The BEST READS from 2022 focus on hospitality industry challenges, outlining concrete steps to improve your hotel operations and “turbocharge the guest experience, drive customer loyalty, and increase revenue”.
To “enable employees to operate at the top of their license” is an important mantra and a continual mission in healthcare. It means empowering healthcare workers to spend the maximum amount of time engaging in the most challenging and rewarding work they are capable of to the utmost benefit of their patients and hospitals.
Pneumatic Tube Systems (PTS) are used in more than 15,000 hospitals worldwide to ensure fast, safe transport of certain items. However, most healthcare providers using PTS maintain a “Do Not Tube” list of hundreds of medications that CANNOT. However, Relay robots are a perfect complement to their tubing systems, providing safe, secure, fast, and contact-free delivery to pharmacies, labs, oncology clinics, blood banks, and Emergency Rooms.
As little kids, we dreamed of humanoid robots riding shotgun in our flying cars. In reality, our cars won’t fly, they will drive themselves. And, our robots won’t walk on two legs, they will roll, cut, slice, hammer, and deliver. Our robot future will be more functional than fanciful.
As the calendar pages turn from fall to winter, hoteliers are pleased to see room occupancy continue to rise. More guests are traveling for business and pleasure. In fact, Hospitality.net said it was “a euphoric and record-breaking summer” with room rates rising as we approach the holiday crush.
Hotel owners have been experiencing both good news and bad news. On the positive side, a recent LinkedIn article showed a significant increase in demand and higher average daily rate (ADR – a 17% surge over July 2019, according to STR Data Solutions). But on the negative side, hotels are still having problems filling key positions, resulting in America’s highest unemployment rate for this industry of 6.1 percent.
Five-star reviews are priority number-one for hotel management. Studies, like this one from Cornell, show higher TripAdvisor scores equal improved Revenue Available Per Room (RevPAR), which is a hotel's average daily room rate multiplied by its occupancy rate. The RevPAR math is straight forward. However, landing on the winning side of the RevPAR equation is more art than science. How can hotels inspire guests to post rave reviews about their experiences on social media and propel RevPAR?
Hoteliers have a dilemma. The good news is that a recent LinkedIn article reports an increase in both demand and higher average daily rate (ADR – a 17% increase over July 2019 according to STR Data Solutions). But the bad news is that Statista Research has determined that the hospitality labor shortage caused by COVID-19 still continues, resulting in America’s highest unemployment rate for this industry.
On a recent visit to the Dream Hollywood hotel in California, a sign was posted near the manager’s office for employees to read — “2022 Goals: Insanely Satisfied Guests.” As we enter the next phase of the post-COVID travel recovery, continually improving the experience guests have at your hotel — the guest journey — is essential to creating loyal customers, great travel reviews, and most importantly, repeat business.
We’ve documented “The Hotel Labor Crunch: How To Survive” for the hospitality industry. Now, it comes as no surprise that the healthcare industry is facing similar massive employment problems.
For decades now, you’ve heard market analysts, business leaders, and media pundits predict that robots will be a part of everyday life in the near future. Well, here’s a news flash…THE FUTURE IS HERE… and robots are everywhere! No longer a novelty, robots have become a mainstream technology that service industries are turning to solve their continuing labor shortage.
The Hospitality industry is still reeling from its ongoing labor shortage, which was a challenge long before there was a global public health crisis. With unemployment at record lows and labor costs continuing to rise, finding and keeping new staff remains a critical issue. This has created a new labor reality where hotels must continue to do more with fewer employees.
Guests at the Hotel Trio Healdsburg, a Marriott property in Sonoma County, California, owned by Seaview Investors LLC, may be surprised when the extra towels they requested get delivered by a three-foot-tall service robot named Rosé. As the hotel’s social distancing ambassador and one of hundreds operated by Relay Robotics world-wide, she can be summoned to bring guests everything they may desire, from hotel food and DoorDash, to wine and hot coffee, to towels and toiletries.
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