The US launches a “robot waiter” for airports that takes your shopping without you having to move

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The US launches a
the us launches a "robot waiter" for airports that takes

The long queues at the counters of the duty free it has never been a dish of good taste. In times of COVID-19, even less so. With the authorities praying day in and day out that safety distances be respected, crowds be avoided and guard not lowered, the lines that usually form in airport stores are no longer a nuisance to become, directly, in an enemy to beat. At the Cincinnati International Airport they have it very present and have opted for a peculiar ally to achieve it: a “waiter robot”.

Christened Ottobot, the device allows passengers to make purchases in some of the terminal’s shops and bars without having to move a millimeter. The mechanics are more or less simple: through the smartphone, through an app – or on the orderatcvg.com website – customers buy food, drink or travel products at the stores spread around the airport. In return, they receive a personal QR code. When the order is ready, the assistants place the items in the Ottobot’s cargo compartment and the robit goes into operation.

Equipped to avoid bumps

To move through the airport, the device, from the Ottonomy company, incorporates sensors and a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) module that allow it to dodge obstacles that may be found in your path. According to New Atlas, it also uses a “contextual mobility navigation” system that makes it possible to track their whereabouts. When Ottobot is approaching, the customer receives a notification on his smartphone. To collect the order you just have to scan the QR code. The system also notifies the seller that the operation has been a success.

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“The ecosystem we have built is such that our suppliers will be able to manage, control and schedule their fleet through our cloud-based network operation console (NOC), which will be directly integrated with their POS software,” the company details. based in USA and India. While waiting to check the results of the Ottobot in Cincinnati, the system is available in the Concourse B area and – according to a note from the airport itself (CVG) – it is released with the store operator Paradies Lagardere. Before launching it, yes, those responsible they tested with a pilot experience a year ago, at the end of 2020, which allowed them to collect valuations.

“We can provide a safe experience through our Ottobots,executing automated contactless deliveries of food and beverage and retail products. COVID-19 has changed the way we all interact and relate to travel, making contactless delivery even more relevant, ”says Ritukar Vjay, from Ottonomy Inc, in statements collected by PR Newsire. They are not the only ones who have seen the possibilities of delivery robots. Just a few days ago Glovo announced a similar pilot test in Madrid.

Cover image | Ottonomy IO