‘Co-bots,’ continue to deploy in the Las Vegas service industry
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As robot technology and machine learning continue to develop, this advancement has increasingly entered Las Vegas valley resorts and eateries, dazzling guests and causing some unease for service industry workers.
“Co-bots” is the term used by Dr. Robert Rippee, executive director of Black Fire Innovation, a research institute that is part of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, which aims to “accelerate innovation for hospitality, gaming, and entertainment.”
“They’re just robots that help humans,” Rippee said. “The best way to invent something is to solve a problem.”
The entertainment capital of the world is not unfamiliar with robots being used in unique ways, but the new use cases, tested with the help of students from UNLV, are where real problem-solving occurs.
“This is our next project, an advanced technology food and beverage operation,” Rippee said, showing off a new portion of the lab. There, on display, is a robot not dissimilar to the Tipsy Robot at Planet Hollywood and The Venetian, in which an automated arm prepares cocktails for visitors to the resorts. Rippee said this version is one or two generations more advanced than the Tipsy Robot.
“Initially, the entertainment value is extremely high,” Rippee said. “The hype cycle disappears pretty fast. Then, you’re left with the actual outcome. Does it make a difference?”
He made it clear that, from the delivery robots at UNLV to server assistance at Rachel’s kitchen, the “co-bots” aren’t meant to take jobs. Instead, they’ll be used to fill gaps that exist in the processes with which they aid—not to mention the entertainment factor.
“It’s not every day that you’re like, ‘Oh, a robot is going to paint my nails,'” said Brittany Kibler of XpresSpa. The Clockwork machine at the Las Vegas airport, which uses robots to read a user’s nailbeds and provide a quick manicure, doesn’t replace a manicurist, Kibler said, but instead drives more business.
“About 60 customers per month, so far, and it just keeps growing,” Kibler said.
Rippee said he expects the robot trend to continue and, perhaps, spawn a new workforce as the equipment requires regular support and repair. Recent contracts between casino properties and unions indicated that may be the case, as they include training opportunities for employees when dealing with the new tech.
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