In a world of fast-paced and ever-changing technology, it is no surprise that robots are now being introduced in the hospitality industry. The Bear Robotics company is introducing as many as 20,000 robots to Ireland in order to lighten the workload and help hotel and restaurant staff with their guest service. Malachy Ryan, head of sales for Bear Robotics (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), has predicted between 20,000 to 30,000 robots will be serving tables, cleaning rooms and carrying laundry to guests in next five years. As the robots can carry 16 plates at one time, compared to human waiter’s two to three plates.
The Glenroyal Hotel in Maynooth, Co Kildare, is the first industry to take this initiative and they have already placed a robot from Bear Robotics to become a novelty for guests. The robot can sing Happy Birthday and greet customers by name before guiding them to their respective tables.
The cost for these robots are as cheap as chips, costing €800 to run a month. The company does not intend to replace existing jobs, but rather lighten the manual activities and help human staff, taking on the tasks no one wants to do.
Bear Robotics was founded in 2017, and their headquarter is based in the Silicon Valley, USA. It has offices in different countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The company is pushing the boundaries of robotics technology, with a main focus on hospitality, healthcare, and retail.
The man behind this innovation, Malachy Ryan, is an established entrepreneur and technology leader in the robotics industry in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, who has been involved in the industry for more than 15 years. He oversees sales in 150 countries for Bear Robotics and is currently leading a robotics revolution taking place across Europe and the world.
Robotics have not only disrupted the hospitality industry, but it has also made its way into hospitals, nursing homes and other settings to provide assistive care, cleaning, and other duties that might be too repetitive or strenuous for humans to do. However there has been some concern among workers that the introduction of robots could disrupt their employment, but Malachy Ryan has assured them that the robots will be used to support the human staff and not entirely replace them.
According to the PwC Annual Global CEO Survey, 63 percent of CEO’s believe AI will have a larger impact than the internet. Spending on artificial intelligence in Europe is estimated to triple to €19.5bn this year, and the World Economic Forum suggests that there will be 85 million jobs displaced by 2025, while 97 million new jobs will be created. It is clear that artificial intelligence has already disrupted employment and is continuing to do so, and companies like Bear Robotics are pushing the boundaries of robotic service to provide people with a different kind of work experience.
