Savioke’s next-generation service robot: Relay+

Savioke today unveiled a new generation of its service robot called Relay+. The solution is targeted at intra-facility delivery applications for owners/operators of hotels and office properties, foodservice operators, hospitals and healthcare organizations.

Savioke was one of the first autonomous mobile robot (AMR) providers to commercialize its solution. CEO and co-founder Steve Cousins started the company in 2013 after the famous Willow Garage team dispersed to pursue various independent endeavors. Savioke is also an innovator of the robots-as-a-service (RaaS) business model, and Cousins has been an outspoken advocate of RaaS.

With RaaS, hotel operators can purchase and deploy Relay+ and pay a basic monthly subscription fee, without the need to go through a complicated capital asset buying process.

“Service robots are becoming increasingly common in the hospitality and foodservice industries,” Cousins said. “Our safe, efficient robots have made more than 850,000 deliveries since 2014. What’s more, they can work 24/7/365, only need to be trained once, enable service staff to spend more time with customers, and heighten employee job satisfaction.”