Indians are slowly getting used to the idea that robots are taking over jobs that humans used to do. Let us take you to the world of Sci-fi to Reality, in 2019, Bengaluru’s first robot-enabled restaurant made news, and recently, videos of a robot serving “ice golas” (flavoured balls of ice) in the streets of Ahmedabad went viral on social media.
India is still a long way from fully adopting and using robots in consumer-focused industries. However, the hotel industry seems ready to step up its game and start using robots for everything, even serving guests.
At the same time, Noida-based Alphadroid wants to make a big splash in the hotel industry with robots that are driven by AI.
Alphadroid was started by Sanjeev Kumar in 2023 and was housed at IIIT Lucknow. It offers service robots to all types of businesses and offers a free way to pay. With the help of technology and machines, it wants to change the way people experience the country’s $247.31 billion hotel industry.
Alphadroid is ready to take advantage of the possibilities in the global service robots market, which is expected to grow to $62.35 Bn by 2030. They have a steady stream of new projects and goods coming out.
According to Kumar, who works for Alphadroid, he became interested in-service robots after seeing a robot arm make a coffee in Malaysia almost four years ago.
Kumar said the amazing progress in technology made him want to build his first service robot in January 2024, after three years of research and development.
Alphadroid and its products are meant to give smarter new generations more power and better tools by giving them advanced smart machines, or “droids.” Alpha, the company’s first robot, was first used at the Maricham Kabab Estate in Noida.
The first droid could do everything needed by the hotel business every day, such as serving food in restaurants.
Kumar says that Alphadroid’s service robots are the first intelligent and self-learning autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to be used in India. He also said that most of the other robots in the country working in this field are automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), which need to be controlled by a person.
GenAI’s speech and picture recognition skills are currently being used by the company. Kumar said that the company’s current robots will soon be able to do more than just smart deliveries. They will also be able to recognize words, see with computers, and take funds.
In the present, Alphadroid works with companies like DLF, Ramees, and Radisson. The business recently announced a relationship with Radisson Hotel, Bengaluru City Centre. This will help it grow in South India. The company will give the hotel its droids, called Alphas, to improve the guests’ experiences and make the hotel run more efficiently.
At the moment, Alphadroid’s robots can work well in restaurants, waiting areas, events, and gatherings.
Alphadroid is a start-up that is self-funded. INR 5 Cr has been spent on making the robots so far.
At the same time that Alphadroid is improving the technology of its current robot, it is also working on a second product for the healthcare industry.
Kumar said that the new product, which will be aimed at hospitals and other healthcare centers, will be available in four months. The goal of the product is to make front-desk work in hospitals easier.
Alphadroid is also moving into the public sector, starting with the trains.
“We just finished a joint test on the Tejas Express route from Ahmedabad to Mumbai.” Kumar said, “Right now, we’re working closely with IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) on a three-month active pilot before we move on to other projects.”
Alphadroid is still focusing on the Indian market, but in the next few months, it hopes to bring its goods to the UK market as well. The company wants to put 150 robots to work in India alone by the end of 2024.
Also, the company has come up with a solution called 3D image. It’s an easy-to-use talking tool that can be used by people in hospitals (for example, to register patients), bars and restaurants (to help with questions about food and bookings), hotels, and corporate offices. Alphadroid has tested this service, but the answer hasn’t been put in place at a customer site yet.
“On the one hand, we have an autonomous robot. On the other hand, we’ve made a 3D avatar that can talk in virtual reality.” “Eventually, we will combine these technologies, which will allow robots to have conversational artificial intelligence and solve problems in a way that is both interactive and self-sufficient,” Kumar told Inc42.
Alphadroid is also in talks with a number of venture capital firms and angel investors to raise between $4.5 million and $5 million. Even though the company hasn’t set a date for this yet, it will be interesting to see how Alphadroid grows in the years to come.
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