SASEBO, Japan (AP) — From the receptionist that does the check-in and check-out to the porter that's an automated trolley taking luggage up to the room, this hotel in southwestern Japan, aptly called Weird Hotel, is "manned" almost totally by robots to save labor costs. Hideo Sawada, who runs the hotel as part of an amusement park, insists using robots is not a gimmick, but a serious effort to utilize technology and achieve efficiency. The visitor still has to punch a button on the desk, and type in information on a touch panel screen. Another feature of the hotel is the use of facial recognition technology, instead of the standard electronic keys, by registering the digital image of the guest's face during check-in. The concierge is a doll-like hairless robot with voice recognition that prattles breakfast and event information. The place is dotted with security cameras, and real people are watching everything through a monitor to make sure guests stay safe and no one makes off with one of the expensive robots. "[...] they still can't make beds," said Sawada, who has also engineered the rise of a popular affordable Japanese travel agency.
Robots Do Check-in And Check-out At Cost-cutting Japan Hotel
By YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Business Writer, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Business
Wed, 07/15/2015 - 5:54am
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