Over the past few years, there's been an increasing demand for robots to carry out jobs that humans do in the F&B industry. From waitressing, preparing drinks to cooking food, robots are infiltrating the F&B workforce. In this article, we will explore what make Pudu waiter robots stand out against the others.
1) Operate without the Internet
Many waiter robots in the market require WiFi/Internet to function, such as sending information back and forth learning about where to collect dishes and send food. What distinguishes our service robots (Pudu) from others is the ability to operate even without the Internet. The Pudu Scheduler adopts a decentralised and flexible ad hoc network communication scheme and algorithm architecture. Every PuduBot can communicate directly with any other robot(s) in the same network, making smart calculations and decisions. Since a central server is not required, it helps restauranters save costs on sophisticated IT infrastructure. Besides, if there's a power outage, PuduBot can continue to operate with no disruptions.
2) Quick set up without interruptions
Time is money. A typical waiter robot by the other robotic companies take around a day or so to set up. Pudu's waiter robots are quick and easy to set up, taking as fast as 30 mins to 2 hours. Markers are placed on the restaurant's ceiling, indicating to the robots where to send the dishes to. And these markers can be easily set up and replaced for more precise positioning.
3) Easy to operate
There's a touchscreen on every PuduBot that allows humans to assign each tray to a specific table. Once the table is selected, the robot navigates its way to the designated table. Upon arrival at the table, it instructs diners to collect their dishes from the designated tray. Once an item has been collected, the diner will press a button on the screen signalling the completion. The robot will then either makes its way to the next table or back to the kitchen. PuduBot is designed with human interaction in mind, making it easy and intuitive for people of all ages.
4) Kid-friendly robot
PuduBot navigates using a proprietary PuduSLAM algorithm which integrates data from multiple sensors; Lidar, a vision camera with a senor pointed directly up, and two Intel® RealSense™ Depth Cameras located at the lower part of the robot. The depth cameras are crucial for avoiding collisions and adapting to a changing environment. The combination of the upward-facing camera, VSLAM calculations, and depth cameras allows the robots to navigate in a changing environment (intel REALSENSE). In a restaurant, where there are diners consisting of adults, children and servers walking around the restaurant, with PuduBot, collisions and workplace injuries can be avoided.
In comparison with PuduBot, the sensors of waiter robots by the other brands are not as intelligent. In the scenario where multiple robots are used together, they couldn't detect each other's movement, hence stopping operating after a collision.
5) Wide range of service robots for different usage
For Pudu, innovation doesn't stop at its waiter robot; they developed a series of robots taking care of end-to-end operations in a restaurant, differentiating ourselves from our competitors. PuduBot and Bellabot are waiter robots sending food from the kitchen to customers' tables. Holabot takes care of sending empty plates or trays to the washing area. KettyBot greets guests and welcomes them into the restaurant; it can also be doubled as a waiter robot.
Prior to our entry into the robotic space, there were news of waiter robots being deployed by restaurants. However, those robots have been cast aside as decorative items or menu stand holders. Our entry into the robotic space has transformed the F&B robotic scene since 2018. Today, we have over 40 restaurants in Singapore deploying our waiter robots. Our clients who purchased PuduBot two years ago are still using them. With so many of our clients achieving success with our waiter robots, what are you waiting for? Book a demo with us now!