reinventing hospitality through automation

Confidential and Proprietary © 2015 Vecna Technologies, Inc.

Reinventing Hospitality through Automation

Victor Lopez, CEO, MLH Distribution

Alan Ludwiszewski, General Manager, Robotic Logistics Solutions, Vecna

RoboUniverse, May 2015


• Privately funded automation company

• Focus on advanced technology with applications in healthcare and logistics

• Founded in 1998 by MIT engineers

• Hundreds of implementations worldwide

• Strong track record of commercializing R&D

• 10% working time devoted to community service

About Vecna


Vecna’s Mission

To create the world’s smartest robots that provide real economic value and work safely alongside humans


Focus Areas• Machine Perception

• Autonomous Navigation

• Human-Robot Interaction

• High-level planning

• Manipulation


Robotics in the Hospitality Industry


Housekeeping: By the Numbers

Average Cost of 1 Employee:

• $36,016/year (with benefits)

• $24,980/year (without benefits)

• $12/hr


Case Study: 500 room hotel • Average employee compensation package (including salary,

benefits, paid vacation and unemployment) = $36,016

• Average wage: $12/hr

• Time spent per trip from back of the house to linen closet = 12-15 minutes

• Average number of linen runners per shift = 4-8 employees

• Shifts per day = 3 shifts

• Linens replaced to closets on each floor = 1-2 times per day

• 6-8 paid sick days per year

• 2-4 paid vacation days per year


Current Methods to Reduced Costs• Reduce work schedules • Outsource departments• Institute linen reuse programs• Initiate green programs• Eliminate:

– Turndown service by request only– Mini Bars– Room Service– Daily Newspaper


Robotic Delivery Overview


Clean Linen Transfer1. Linen company delivers clean linens to loading dock

2. Employee loads clean linens on robot at loading dock and robot transfers to housekeeping department

3. Employee unloads clean linens into linen carts on robot and directs robot to designated floor through touch screen interface

4. Robot transfers linens to linen closet on each floor

5. Employee unloads the linens into storage and directs robot to next task


Dirty Linen Transfer1. Employee loads dirty linens

into cart and robot is called when cart is full

2. Robot drops off empty cart and picks up full cart

3. Robot transports dirty linens to housekeeping department

4. Robot unloads dirty linens to be cleaned and ready for its next task


Facility Integration• QC Bot(s) pre-programmed workflow-appropriate to optimize

material handling and logistics within a multi-level facility• Support and response system via Vecna Technologies & MLH

Distribution• Sub-stations for robot charging within hotel (every 8-10hrs, or

24hr operation with opportunistic charging)• Elevators control integration allows robotic call and access• Security Cameras


Benefits of automating hospitality


Productivity Improvement• Less time taken to perform routine tasks

• Increase amount of time employees have available to focus on high-value guest needs

• Employees can focus on guest service instead of spending time retrieving and delivering items

• Improved:– Allocation of labor costs– Productivity– Flexibility in staffing– Dynamic automation of routine delivery and restocking tasks– Employee headcount reduction


Resource allocation cost savings• Benefits• Sick days / paid sick days• Bonuses• Unemployment fees • Employee uniforms• Dry cleaning uniforms • Workers compensation• Employee screenings • Background checks • E-verification • Days off• Turnover


Looking forward

• Floor cleaning activities

• Window washing

• Hotel check-in

• Baggage delivery and pick up

• Banquet food transport

• Food stock (dry goods) transport

• Banquet tables and chairs transport

• Power washing

• Room service delivery

• Tableware and dish transport

• Marketing edge for hotel brands


Autonomous robots for public settings


Safe by design

• Fault tolerant

• Complete sensor coverage

• Partitioned control

• Built-in test

Robust navigation

• “Understand” chaotic environments

• On-the-move obstacle recognition and avoidance

• Dynamic speed control

Today’s service robots in action


• On-demand autonomous delivery robot

• Healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, warehousing

• Safely interacts and maneuvers around humans

• Automates routine tasks and materials transport/delivery

• Requires minimal or no modifications to the facility

• Integrates seamlessly with fleet management and back-end systems

QC Bot – Service robot for public areas


Best practices • Define the success factors

– Both financial objectives and pain points– Define and communicate the value proposition for each

stakeholder

• Create new workflow -- don’t just automate, optimize – Map out future state workflow against current state to

understand gaps, needs and opportunities– Pilot, course corrections, pilot again

• Making staff and end users the owners of the robot increases utilization– The robot is another tool helping the staff do their job


• Frees up staff, removes the burden and risks of transportation• Dependable logistics – known availability, reliable execution• Easy to use, easy to program and adapt to changes in environment• Use on-demand, per programed scheduled, or under integrated control

Benefits mobile robots


Thank you.

reinventing hospitality through automation

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