For years robotic engineering has been used in the manufacturing industry. Indeed, assembly line production ranging from automobiles to lamb butchering has been taken over by robots. Now in Japan, cat-faced robots are helping the hospitality industry.

Japan’s Skylark Holdings, best known for its Gusto family restaurant chain, has begun rolling cat-themed robot servers called BellaBots at various outlets to deliver food and drinks to waiting customers, according to Akihabara News.

But why a cat with a variety of facial expressions? The answer is not clear.

Japan’s decline in population has been affecting its hospitality industry for some time as businesses struggle to find workers. This has only been exasperated by the Covid pandemic.

The Chinese-built BellaBots not only can take food orders but can also deliver the food to tables and clean the dishes after the meal, supposedly faster and more efficient than humans.

Early surveys find that about 80 percent of customers feel positive about the robots on the restaurant floor, especially as one of the key aims is to reduce human contact during the Covid pandemic.

Additionally, Skylark hopes that the BellaBots will improve service, reduce the workload of staff, and leave customers with a memorable experience, bringing them back for more.

Pudu Robotics which designed and built the BellaBots said that the firm is also committed to moving toward other next generation solutions such as cashless payments.

The robot’s appearance at the Gusto chain will come in more gradual stages, but should reach about 1,300 outlets by the end of next year.

According to The Telegraph, Saizeriya, which operates 1,5000 low-cost Italian-style restaurants in Japan, has been testing robotic waiters since spring last year, while popular fast food chain Mos Burger is also trialling robots. 

Meanwhile, Softbank Robotics announced a partnership last month with China’s Keenon Robotics, in a joint venture aimed at installing robot waiters in restaurants across Japan and Singapore.

Pudu Robotics is a worldwide-leading robotics company dedicated to the design, R&D, production and sales of commercial service robots. Its products have been exported to more than 60 countries and regions, covering more than 600 cities around the world and are widely used in restaurants, hospitals, schools, office buildings, government halls, etc. It has received multiple awards such as Reddot and applied for more than 600 core patents worldwide.

“Our vision is to become the world’s strongest commercial service robot company,” said Pudu Robotics.

Last month Pudu Robotics announced the completion of its C2-series financing, a joint investment led by Meituan, Greater Bay Area Homeland Development Fund, Shenzhen Investment Holdings and Sequoia Capital China, Taihecap as the independent financial adviser. The funding was secured within only four months after the C1 series of $78 million raised in May, the combination of C1 and C2 has raised nearly $155 million in total. The C2 round funds will be utilized for cutting-edge R&D development, new product development, new site launches, and expansion of the company’s global network.

With an aging population and the pandemic driving the need for contactless delivery, the robotics market has seen a rapid surge in demand particularly in the commercial service robot segment. As a world-leading provider of service robots, Pudu Robotics says it has developed an intimate understanding of user needs and products catering to an extensive range of scenarios. These include the smart delivery robot PuduBot, premium delivery robot BellaBot, delivery robot with paging and notification features HolaBot, disinfection robot Puductor 2, delivery and reception robot KettyBot, and building delivery robot FlashBot.

Launched this year, KettyBot is a brand-new offering that combines multiple features such as Ad display, customer interaction, greeting and ushering, and AI voice interaction. Distinct from KettyBot, FlashBot is the new-generation “building delivery expert”, the world’s first building delivery solution designed for hotels and offices, with the ability to ride in an elevator with human passengers. 

Since its founding, Pudu Robotics has gone “from Zero to One” in only five years and remains a leader in the commercial service robotics industry. The company says its achievements are “built upon its in-depth R&D on cutting-edge robotics technology, expansion of robotics use scenarios, and constant improvement of its products’ service quality”.

The post-pandemic period has seen demand skyrocket for contactless service and disinfection, resulting in the rapid expansion of the robotics market and unprecedented opportunities. Whether at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic or in the current new norm of outbreak prevention, Pudu Robotics says it has provided crucial support in contactless delivery especially at restaurants and hospitals. The Puductor 2 is used by various organizations such as Square Cabin Hospitals in Thailand, and hospital chains in Russia, with its intelligent disinfecting functions proven valuable in disease control efforts and the safeguarding of public health.

The C2 round funding will be a tremendous catalyst for the company’s growth as it enters a new phase in its development. Felix Zhang, company founder says: “At Pudu Robotics, we are committed to the ‘Spirit of Invention’ on a mission to use robots to improve the efficiency of human production and living. With the most advanced technology and powerful drive for innovation, we will continue to develop practical robotics solutions that lead smart living into people’s lives.”

Photo credit: Skylark Holdings