It was about time that robots marked their way into the Asian hospitality sector. Considering the technological characters have already entered the other spaces, this was definitely expected. Hotel Jen has been the first international hotel brand in Asia to experiment with autonomous Relay robots.
If you happen to stay at Hotel Jen Orchard Gateway or Tanglin Singapore, don’t be entirely surprised if you bump into their latest technological additions, Jeno and Jena. From bringing you coffee and providing you with towels to an entire in-room dining fiesta, these two are equipped to do it all. Yes, they can also ride elevators, make phone calls to rooms upon arrival, and are equipped with sensitive sensors that know to avoid obstacles in its path.
“Hotel Jen is proud to be the first brand in the Shangri-La group to introduce this technology. The new “colleagues” will be great team players in getting important things done well and delivered in Jen’s distinctive style. Known to curate playful experiences, Hotel Jen, through the Relay robots, yet again proves that it can surprise and delight urban adventure-seekers,” said Cetin Sekercioglu, executive vice president of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.
Of course, Jena and Jeno will be clad in uniforms – turquoise and pink ones to be exact which are Hotel Jen’s brand colors. Inspired by the concept of a butler, Toby Tan (@tobyato) from Band of Doodlers designed a jacket and tie for Jeno and a scarf for Jena.
Measuring one meter tall and equipped to travel at a speed of 2.5 km/h, the duo is certainly independent of traveling around the hotel unmanned. Jeno and Jena are both integrated with a software system that can easily track their to-do list once an order is placed.
Designed and built by Savioke, Relay is the first fully-autonomous delivery robot that has been deployed in over 70 dynamic busy environments such as logistics, hotels, office buildings, and high rise apartments. Using advanced technology to navigate around people and objects, Relay delivers items quickly, safely, and reliably. Since initial commercial deployment in 2014, Relay robots have made over 150,000 autonomous deliveries.
