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  • This robot is handling room deliveries at this hotel in Singapore.

  • And it's recently been joined by another robot on staff too.

  • So is this the takeover when robots replace all human personnel?

  • Not so fast.

  • The robot's work isn't exactly flawless... yet.

  • So here's how it works.

  • The robot, AURA, sits comfortably in the lobby where it charges and waits for assignments.

  • I place a call to the hotel staff and ask for some items.

  • Hi, good afternoon. M Social reception. Fiqah speaking, how may I assist you?

  • Could I please have a toothbrush and a towel?

  • Sure, are you okay, sir? Do you need any water?

  • Yeah, water would be great too, actually, thanks.

  • Okay, I'll send it up using our robot, AURA.

  • Thank you, goodbye.

  • The hotel staff then summons AURA to the desk to receive the items.

  • AURA then gets her room assignment, and she's on her way with the delivery.

  • She's programmed to wirelessly call for an elevator and apparently she has a preferred elevator that she likes.

  • When we visited, AURA was a bit shy and refused to share the elevator with hotel guests.

  • The elevator door closed without her, but then it didn't begin moving.

  • Perhaps AURA was requesting it wirelessly?

  • So, the guests eventually got out and AURA had it her way and got in the elevator.

  • It may sound like a simple enough task, but an elevator can be a very

  • challenging environment for robots. They have to act quickly and safely.

  • And AURA was even engineered to turn around and face the front while riding an elevator.

  • Hey, that's what humans do too!

  • On her way down the hall toward my room, she got distracted with a housekeeping cart,

  • and well, I'll never know what was going through her head.

  • She made it to my room.

  • AURA doesn't knock on the doors, but instead calls the phone in the room when she's arrived.

  • *Ringing*

  • Hello! Your delivery has arrived. Our robot is waiting outside your door.

  • Let's check it out.

  • A towel.

  • Water.

  • And a toothbrush.

  • Thank you, AURA.

  • Yay! She says yay.

  • So she doesn't actually talk, but she has a screen.

  • She delivered my items with a smile, then had a think about where she was going to go afterwards

  • before eventually making her way back to her charging station.

  • The hotel has mapped out the floors and the layout to help her understand

  • where to move and how to recognize other people, objects and obstructions.

  • Currently, she's limited to delivering things like towels, bottled water and toothbrushes.

  • But eventually could be trained to handle food deliveries as well.

  • The hotel tells me that AURA alone is taking care of about 70 percent

  • of the room deliveries, freeing up the staff for other tasks.

  • Also, AURA isn't the only robot working at this hotel.

  • This is AUSCA.

  • He works in the restaurant as the omelette chef.

  • AUSCA works at the egg station, offering up two options, sunny side or omelete.

  • Could you go easy on the oil?

  • No? Okay.

  • I would love an omelete with spinach and tomatoes, maybe some cheese.

  • But that might be a bit above its pay grade.

  • At least for now, that is.

  • Thanks AUSCA.

  • He doesn't really like custom orders.

This robot is handling room deliveries at this hotel in Singapore.

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