Innovation of the Week

Innovation of the week: A robotic bellhop

Botlr is the R2-D2 for the hospitality industry

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."