A Silicon Valley hotel has a new robotic bellhop, Botlr, that can deliver sundries to guests' rooms, said John Markoff in The New York Times. Developed by startup Savioke, Botlr can travel up to 4 miles per hour, allowing it to reach any of the hotel's 150 rooms in under three minutes, and it relies on built-in cameras, sensors, and a computer system to maneuver its way around. Botlr pages guests when it arrives at their door, and a touch-screen display allows users to leave a "review" instead of a tip. "In return for a positive review, the robot will do a small dance before it departs."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Marbled tea eggs recipeThe Week Recommends With a beautiful exterior, these eggs are also marked by their soft yolk
-
The Washington Post: kowtowing to Trump?Talking Point The newspaper's opinion editor has handed in his notice following edict from Jeff Bezos
-
Gene Hackman: the death of a Hollywood legendThe French Connection actor had an extraordinary gift for making characters believable
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
