Many moons ago, thinking forward to 2021 felt lightyears away. I think we thought it might be the age of hovercars, teleporting and holidays to Mars. Whilst we’re not quite there yet, we have made some seriously impressive and innovative applications for robots around the globe.
Sure, our houses aren’t run by robot-maids and robot-chefs but we certainly are living and working side-by-side with robots in our day-to-day lives. And when we refer to robots, what we’re often actually referring to are collaborative robots – otherwise known as ‘cobots’.
Cobots are robots intended for direct human interaction within a shared space or intended for use in a space where humans and robots are in close proximity, as opposed to being isolated to carry out their work with no human intervention.
Over the years, we have applied cobots to do some pretty cool jobs around the world. Let’s take a look at a few of the most unexpected applications…
Cobot bartenders
Royal Caribbean Cruises have tapped into the opportunity of employing cobot bartenders to create cocktails on several of their ships, and other bars and restaurants around the world have followed suit; such as Makr Shakr bar in Milan. You choose your cocktail via an app and watch as robotic arms create your drink in front of you.
As is the case with cobots, human workers are still required to supervise. Bartending is a craft, after all. There are some things that a cobot just cannot do, such as garnishing your drink with fruit and adding the final finishing touches.
Cobot hotel hosts
Another interesting application in the hospitality industry is the use of cobots in hotels to look after guests. Leading the way here is the hotel chain Hilton who have their very own cobot concierge ‘Connie’. Connie is on hand to answer any questions about nearby restaurants, tourist attractions and hotel information. She communicates with guests, learning and adapting with each interaction and continuously improving her answers. Human Hilton employees analyse her data regularly and keep her in check.
Japan did attempt to go one step further with a hotel entirely staffed by robots, named the ‘Weird Hotel’. Whilst it set out to be fully autonomous, the technology quickly became outdated and couldn’t quite meet the demands of guests without the help of a human.
Cobot farmers
As farming is one of the oldest industries in the world, the introduction of technology within the agricultural industry is really interesting. Farmers undertake an enormous amount of manual labour each day, so the application of cobots has been reinventing the wheel. Perhaps one of the most interesting applications for cobots on farms is for herding cows and sheep.
Traditionally, herding has always been carried out by sheepdogs. However, some farmers were finding that the older more ‘seasoned’ cows and sheep were becoming unfazed by the sheepdogs and simply ignored them. Instead, they employed the use of drones and these have been proven (alongside the dogs) to get the job done faster and with less stress. Drones also allow farmers to monitor their land from afar, checking water and feed levels and livestock health without disturbing the animals.
Who knows where else we will see robots and cobots employed in the future? One thing is for sure, they cannot quite run the world without the help of humans just yet.
Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Pinstripe Magazine. Creative thinker and menswear designer who has been writing articles dedicated to men’s fashion, lifestyle, luxury items, home design, gear, grooming and gadgets since 1998. For info on PinstripeMag, any editorial needs or to contact me please email at marv@pinstripemag.com.
