A new market for a veteran AMR vendor
June 18, 2019
Aethon announced that they are expanding their autonomous mobile robot (AMR) product line to include a new line of AMRs designed specifically for the hospitality market. This expansion of their product line includes a set of payloads for their T4G AMR vehicle which are designed for a variety of hospitality applications. Aethon is introducing the new Aethon T4G AMR at the upcoming HITEC 2019 show in Minneapolis.
Aethon is an Experienced AMR Vendor
Aethon is one of the most experienced AMR vendors in the healthcare market. They claim over 5 million miles driven yearly by their installed base. The expansion from hospitals to hospitality is good tactical move for Aethon. The applications within hospital facilities are very similar to delivery operations within a hotel or convention center. This announcement positions Aethon as a major player in the hospitality market, including applications in both the front-of-house and the back-of-house at hotels and convention centers.
“We believe robotics are becoming an important part of the hotel landscape,” says Mike Lerman, General Manager, AC Hotel by Marriott San Jose Santa Clara. “We wanted to work with a company who had proven experience deploying mobile robotics but also one with an innovation pipeline of products designed for hoteliers,” he added. “Aethon was the only company who had both experience and a pipeline of innovative products. They have been an outstanding partner for our two new franchise hotels.” The AC Hotels by Marriott San Jose Santa Clara is an Aethon beta partner and will be the first in the country to deploy the new robots from Aethon.
From Pharmacy Orders to Room Service
Aethon’s hardware and software solutions are mature and hardened through their extensive deployments in healthcare. Aethon has been delivering pharmacy orders, linen deliveries, meals/foods and taking out the trash in hospitals since 2002. Aethon knows how to move things around facilities where the public is present and they operate one of the best remote support solutions on the market. They have already solved some of the hardest problems in multi-floor AMR operations such as interfacing with and path planning through elevators. Note that if your facility includes a public elevator, there will be additional costs in working with your facilities operations team to interface to the elevator controls. This is a hidden cost that can be overlooked until the actual deployment starts. Aethon brings the experience to help you manage this element of the AMR deployment.
The economic opportunity here for Aethon is clear. The Aethon T4G helps address hospitality staffing shortages and can augment hotel workers during late night operations as well as during peak periods when many guests are checking in/out, along with supporting the operations for large catering events. The variety of options which Aethon is bringing to market with this announcement puts them ahead of the current competitors in this market, such as Savioke. Savioke was the first company to operate in the hospitality market, however they currently only have one vehicle configuration for this market.
Within hotel operations, Aethon AMRs can now deploy into multiple applications such as: room service delivery, luggage delivery, housekeeping operations and catering. The new T4G payload configurations provide options for carrying cargo or moving items in each of these applications. Aethon has already deployed their T3 and T3XL line of robots for back-of-house operations, so the Aethon T4G expands the range of applications which Aethon serves. The new payload options for the T4G are designed for service operations directly with hotel guests.
New Payload Options
Let’s take a look at the new payload options and better understand where they can be used for hospitality applications. The T4G robot comes with a variety of cabinet and shelving options which can hold goods up to 430 x 635 mm. The bins can be secured with a PIN code to enable multiple guest deliveries on a single delivery run.
The Aethon T4G AMR with closed cabinet payload.
The Aethon T4G AMR with closed cabinet payload.
The Aethon T4G AMR with open shelving payload.
The Aethon T4G AMR with mixed cabinet payload.
The Aethon T3 AMR with guest luggage rack delivery payload.
The Aethon T4 AMR with bin/tote cart configuration.
