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Admiration at a yakiniku restaurant ... The first time I saw a service robot that was "used up"

Kazumichi Moriyama's "Robot" Basic Course

Service robots have finally appeared in everyday scenery. It is a serving robot at a restaurant. With the background of labor shortage, the non-contact needs due to the new Korona-ka triggered the full-scale introduction. At some stores, robots have already begun to collaborate with humans in earnest. I was able to see in the actual store a different appearance from other service robots that have been tried so far. However, it is necessary for each restaurant to carefully work to improve efficiency and add value unique to restaurants.

Science writer Kazumichi Moriyama

Science writer Kazumichi Moriyama

Freelance science writer. Born in 1970. Born in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture. He graduated from the Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Hiroshima University in 1993. In the same year, he joined NHK as a director. He is engaged in the production of educational programs, live entertainment programs, pop science programs, etc. He retired at the end of August 1997. He will be a freelance writer. Currently, he writes for all fields of science and technology. Especially in the fields of brain science, robotics, and interface design. He specializes in researcher interviews.

1. Softbank Robotics Enters Serving Robot Business
2. Admire the appearance of the service robot that is really used
3. Reducing the labor load and adding value unique to eating and drinking, the purpose is "strengthening services"
4. High school students to housewives accept that this is convenient
5. The key to the operation is the person in charge of the deshap position
6. Used not only for serving but also for serving
7. Operation know-how at actual stores is collected from each store
8. Aiming for efficiency while leaving services by people
9. "Yakiniku Watami" uses two types of robots and a limited express lane together.
10. All-you-can-eat dim sum in Chinatown "Shofukumon" appeals non-contact with a serving robot

Softbank Robotics Enters Serving Robot Business

Serving robots have begun to spread. It is a robot that carries food from the kitchen of a restaurant to the target table along the aisle. Occasionally, it supports the manual labor of the hall staff by helping not only the serving but also the lower serving to clean up the dishes. At the end of September, Softbank Robotics made a major entry into the catering robot business, where "PEANUT" from Keen On in China, which was introduced earlier in this series, began to enter various restaurants such as izakaya and ramen shops through domestic distributors. Announced in. The name of the robot is "Servi". It is a serving robot equipped with three trays. Full-scale sales are scheduled to start in January 2021, and the monthly fee is 99,800 yen for a three-year plan. This autonomous traveling robot "Servi" was based on the robot "Penny" of Bear Robotics in the United States, which is funded by Softbank Group. Bear Robotics was founded in 2017. The CEO is John Ha. Ha was from Google and also ran a restaurant. By the way, it seems that the restaurant was a tofu dish. "Penny" was developed based on his experience to help the hall staff of restaurants. By supporting the physical labor of going back and forth between the kitchen and the table with food and drinks, the aim is to improve the hospitality of the entire store by using the extra space that was created. As a robot, it is a type that mounts LiDAR (laser sensor) on a two-wheeled mobile trolley and performs SLAM (technology that simultaneously estimates self-position and creates a map). It is more expensive than the type without LiDAR, but it does not require markers to be installed in the store and is resistant to changes. It is said that you can pass through a 60 cm passage and pass by people smoothly. Avoid even small things like bags. To use, specify the destination table number and press the GO button. Initial settings are required, but basically this is all the work done by the floor clerk. Serving to multiple tables is also possible. The total load capacity is 35 kg. This is enough for a restaurant. A Wi-fi environment is required to introduce the robot. And before use, it is necessary to perform mapping work in the introduced store in advance. This work is done on the Softbank Robotics side. Directly create an environmental map using LiDAR of "Servi", read the layout such as the aisle and table position of the store, save the data on the dedicated cloud, register the prohibited area and set the stop position on the PC , Synchronize with Servi, etc. The cost of changing the layout of the store is on a case-by-case basis, which can be handled remotely, free of charge for simple table position changes and additions, and when on-site work such as home position changes and overall remapping is required. Is considering paying for it.

Admire the appearance of the service robot that is really used

Announcement from Softbank Robotics On the same day, Monogatari Corporation, which operates table-order all-you-can-eat stores such as "Yakiniku King" and "Sushi / Shabushabu Yuzuan", will have a sufficient effect by participating in the "Servi" demonstration experiment. It was decided that there was one, and the release was announced that a total of 443 units will be put into operation at 310 stores from January 2021. Again, there are 443 units. It was a surprising number. It is said that robots will reduce the high labor load unique to custom-made all-you-can-eat, and search for "the right person and the right person for the robot." The release also stated that the "Yakiniku King Itabashi Maenocho store" would be the first store to be introduced. The site is the best way to see the power of robots. First of all, I visited the store as an ordinary customer with my acquaintances. The bottom line is that robots have become very common in operations and have been used extensively. It may be better to say, "I was exhausted." For the first time, I saw a site where service robots are really being used. He was very impressed. We visited on Friday night. The robot was completely "strength" on the floor of the store, where people were busy walking around, carrying dishes and lowering them. The specific operation will be described later, but it was almost the same as a human being, and the robot blended into the store without any discomfort. Of course, I've seen catering robots slowly moving in stores. But it was completely different. It blends into the store-that's also what Bear Robotics CEO John Ha often answered in interviews. The robot itself was great too. Obstacle avoidance ability and recovery when it seems that it has caused a misalignment are also smooth, and various features such as a circular footprint and the height of the shelf that is easy for customers seated at the table are simple but well made. There were many points that made me feel that it was a robot developed by a former Google restaurant owner. The customers did not seem to feel any discomfort, and everyone accepted it normally. The robot comes in playing music and stops beside the table. When you take the plate, the weight sensor detects that it has been taken. It will automatically return to your home. There was a guide with a brief explanation on the table, but everyone used it normally even if they didn't see it. The robot continued to move without a cut. It was a great example of use. Since then, I have been fiercely pushing to visit the "Yakiniku King Itabashi Maenocho store" to the robots and acquaintances around me. I would like all readers to visit us. The author thinks that the usage in this store is the smoothest so far compared to other robot utilization stores. Especially if you have doubts about the capabilities of the serving robot. You should definitely go and see it with your own eyes. See the robot working in a busy store as an ordinary customer, not a demonstration. You should be able to realize once again that this is what it means for robots and humans to work together. Since it is a popular shop, reservations are essential. You can realize that the true value of robots can be demonstrated only in busy stores. Just in case, this is not an advertorial. I want you to think that you were "fooled" and go to eat yakiniku for the time being. You can really see it. I don't mean to say that serving robots can be used effectively in any store. There are stores that are suitable for serving robots and stores that are not, and those that are suitable and those that are not. This is also suddenly becoming clear due to the recent rapid increase in the number of stores that have introduced serving robots. What I had been thinking on the desk until now is becoming clearer by moving it in the field, and I am getting hungry and producing results. Those who are interested in commercializing service robots as well as serving robots should first visit the site and see the robots actually used in the actual field. After all, "on-site," "actual," and "reality" are important.

Reducing the labor load and adding value unique to eating and drinking, the purpose is "strengthening services"

At a later date, I was able to talk with Mr. Takayuki Hairi, General Manager of the Public Relations and IR Office of Monogatari Corporation, which is the operating company, and Shouma Nagata, the manager of "Yakiniku King Itabashi Maenocho". The Itabashi Maenocho store is 110 tsubo and has 26 tables. The reasons for introducing the robot were three points: one-touch use, non-contact needs, and reduction of the burden on employees. The reason for considering robots in the first place is "to find the right person for the right person and the right person for the machine". "Yakiniku Kingu" is a table-order all-you-can-eat. The number of dishes due to additional orders is very large, and the labor load on the staff is high. On the other hand, efficiency is not the only attraction of eating and drinking. For example, "Yakiniku King" has a service by a person called "Yakiniku Police" who teaches how to make delicious yakimono, which is a great added value to the service. In order to reduce labor disability and increase added value, it was necessary to reduce the burden on people. Therefore, the work of carrying heavy objects should be borne by the robot, and humans should concentrate on the work that only humans can do. The purpose is to "strengthen services" to the last, and at present, it is said that there is no labor saving by installing robots. Participation in the demonstration experiment by Softbank Robotics will start from November 2019. We went to "Yuzuan", an all-you-can-eat sushi, shabu-shabu, and kushiage, and "Yakiniku Kingu". The demonstration experiment stores were not the Itabashi store, but the "Yakiniku King" Sengawa store and Funabashi store, and the "Yuzuan" Mitaka store (currently closed). The reason why the Itabashi Maenocho store, which was not a demonstration experiment store, became a pre-introduction store is that it is a store with steady sales and a new store that just opened on December 25, 2019, and the layout. Is neatly made as standard. At other stores, the above-mentioned mapping work is currently underway at all stores in preparation for full-scale introduction after January 2020.

High school students to housewives accept that this is convenient

What about the actual operation? Of course, the store manager Nagata was wondering "what's going on" until the operation started. However, it seems that the excitement was actually greater than the anxiety. And when he actually used it, he felt that it was "unexpectedly fast". Humans can only hold one tray in one hand, but robots can carry up to three trays. He immediately said, "I thought it wouldn't improve my work efficiency." There was also a concern that it might get in the way, but that concern disappeared as soon as it actually started working. Since the store manager Nagata was not in the store that participated in the demonstration experiment, he received a lecture from Softbank again to operate the robot. It's easy because you can do everything from start-up to actual operation with almost one touch, and in fact, even in stores, all part-time clerk of a wide range of ages, from high school students to housewives, "became really ready to use." It seems that employees also "only give positive opinions" such as "it's convenient" for robots. The store is open only for dinner on weekdays, but it is also open for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays, and its business hours are from 11:30 to 24:00. The robot has been running continuously for up to 12 and a half hours, but it has never needed to be charged during business hours. The time required for charging is 4 hours, so you can just connect it to the charging cable after the store is closed. [Next page] The key to the actual operation of the robot is the person in charge of the deshap position.

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