Servie is a robot in use at the University of Houston Conrad Hilton College of Global Hospitality leadership. That Hilton hotel is managed by students and is on campus, actually inside their college. Dean Dennis Reynolds says Servie works in Eric's, the hotel's restaurant.
Its job is to roll from the kitchen, get loaded up with plates, and cruise to a table where a wait staff places dishes in front of customers. Servie has shelves, not hands, after all and can only do so much.
Reynolds says "we're not doing this to cut labor. No one is going to lose their job. What we are doing is helping servers spend less time in the kitchen and more time on the floor so they can provide better service."
Here's how it works. Servie goes from the kitchen. Dishes are placed on its tray, a person hits the table number on the screen and Servie delivers the food. He says it's bringing in diners because people want to be served by a robot.
Its job is to roll from the kitchen, get loaded up with plates, and cruise to a table where a wait staff places dishes in front of customers. Servie has shelves, not hands, after all and can only do so much.
There could be more. With a couple of days of programming, the next step with robots will be to work in the ballroom serving appetizers. "The next generation, the company says, will be able to go up elevators and the next stage will be room service."
Servie can only say "thank you." As programming develops, she will be able to say more and even sing "happy birthday."
Bear Robotics, a company founded by restaurant experts, created Servie. And Servie will likely get a new name. In January there will be a contest where students will pick a name for the robot.
Once there's a name there will be vinyl outside the machine. Right now because it's Eric's restaurant, people are calling her Erica.
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