Meet Temi: AI robot in the hospitality sector at Hotelschool The Hague

In 2021, Hotelschool The Hague joined forces with TU Delft and Robohouse to conduct a research line into new applications of robotics in the hospitality sector.

In this light, HTH purchased Tēmi, an AI robot, provided by the Dutch company Welbo. With outstanding navigation capabilities, Temi excels as a tour guide, is a great reception assistant, and can gather feedback. Klaas Koerten (Researcher on robotics for the Hotelschool The Hague, Delft University of Technology and Robohouse) leads this project, which is currently in the set-up/programming process with the intention to start assisting at the reception by June 2022.

Despite the complexity that AI and robotics might have, Tēmi is quite user-friendly, with a touch screen, voice recognition, and can potentially assist in three languages.

By using the power of AI technology, Tēmi will be able to:

• Gather feedback
• Host excellent tour experiences
• Provide information to students, staff and guests
• Welcome guests in style

This ongoing research addresses two key questions: ‘Which tasks can be robotised without negatively impacting the guest experience?” & “Can robotisation serve not to replace human workers, but make existing work more attractive and less physically demanding?” Even if robots in hospitality can assist with personnel shortages in innovative ways, this project does not envision a solution to labor shortages in a fully robotized hotel.

There are currently three types of robots in the market: transport robots, reception robots, and food preparation robots. However, the initial findings of the research showcase that even if robotics are being used in the hospitality sector, they are coming from and developed in other sectors. In other words, hotel robotisation comes about through crossovers. Researchers are hoping to scale up this research line; in the near future, prototypes will be tested in a ‘Working Lab’ in the Robohouse, and then in practical situations (‘Living Labs’) in Hotelschool The Hague’s restaurants and Skotels.

In the context of HTH research in robotics, Jeroen Oskam, Klaas Koerten (Hotelschool The Hague), and Tom Dalhuisen (Dalco Robotics) participated as speakers in the Robocafé on 17 May with the topic “The future of hospitality”. This event is organised once per month by Robohouse Delft in order to present the latest robotics development in different professional areas.

The research team of Hotelschool The Hague is looking forward to harnessing the power of AI & robotics s in order to future-proof the hospitality sector.