Behind the news of the La terra delle Sirene restaurant at the Circolo dei Forestieri in Sorrento, which has decided to entrust the room service to robots, there are not only circuits and software but also the “human” face of the young man Leonardo Fontana. The robots caught by cameras and social posts were his. At 33 years old, in the wake of Industry 4.0 he is leading the expansion of robotics in the out-of-home environment with Bob – The robot waiter: the result of 5 years of technological development, a helper who travels between the tables autonomously like an expert runner being able to count on an assortment of sensors and stabilizers that allow it to carry up to 40 kg on a maximum of 4 trays. «The idea of introducing robots is the result of direct experience. I myself am a restaurateur – admits Fontana, who manages two bars and a restaurant and has gained experience in a technological company in the security sector – After a trip to China I became passionate about robotics and I imported the first models into my premises to regarding the organization of the service. The subsequent cooperation with OrionStar allowed us to strengthen the service and extend it throughout Italy. Thanks to our software, it becomes easy for the professional to manage such an asset independently.”
The 250 activated models bear witness to this, from Treviso to Milan, from Manduria to Gallipoli and up to Passo Giau: “After the initial scepticism, thanks also to the support of Fipe, the credibility of a similar offer has increased. That adage according to which machines will replace the staff”, says Fontana, who in 2019 was also included in Forbes Italia’s Top 100 under 30. Bob, in fact, is more of a faithful helper than a competitor in the room. In fact, “it allows the waiter to free himself of some tasks to concentrate more on interacting with the customer and on up-selling activities, suggesting other products or menu combinations”, explains Fontana. There is also the function of delivering the dish to the table, highly requested by restaurant chains. There is also the possibility of transforming Bob’s front monitor into a screen for marketing campaigns, orders, requesting information and guiding the customer to the table or to the bathroom (thanks to the microphone and speaker with which he “listens” and “speaks” to its customers, with the guarantee of privacy and non-archiving of data). All for 10-12 hours straight, a cost of around 350 euros monthly fee and minimal maintenance.
Features awarded by the market which in the meantime is experimenting with kiosks (digital totems for self-service orders, ed) and look at the other side of the service: the kitchen. «With another startup we are thinking about how to automate some repetitive processes in the kitchen with the possibility of impacting food costs thanks to the rationalization of operations. In the USA, for example, Nala Robotics has already launched the first restaurant with a totally robotic kitchen. In Dubai, China or Japan the use of robots is very advanced. For us Westerners they could be a great help. The cook will always remain central, as will the waiter, but the tasks change”. And maybe the wages too. The staff, in fact, will have a role of “greater responsibility and care towards customers who are not afraid of interacting with the robot”, assures Fontana. A trend that can also be seen in the requests arriving from other sectors such as the industrial and hospital sectors which are struggling with the lack of qualified personnel. Almost a return to the past of hospitality, driven by innovation.
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