WORLD
New Japanese hotel to be staffed by robots
Baku, February 6, AZERTAC
Guests checking into a new hotel close to the Japanese city of Nagasaki this summer may find themselves complaining that the service is just a little .... robotic.
With due cause. In a paradigm-shifting development, the hotel in question, the Henn-na Hotel, will be partially staffed by what are termed "actroid" androids – remarkably human-like robots who will be able to greet, carry luggage to rooms, make cups of coffee – and even smile.
The hotel will be called Henn-na Hotel, which translates as Strange Hotel.
According to the park, the first phrase of the two-story hotel will open on July 17 with 72 rooms.
The second phrase will be completed in 2016 with an additional 72 rooms.
Operating under the motto "A commitment for evolution," the hotel will feature three "actroids" (robots with strong human likeness) that will act as receptionists.
They'll be able to engage in intelligent conversations with human guests.
The hotel will also employ four service and porter robots, and others engaged in menial tasks such as cleaning.
"We'll make the most efficient hotel in the world," boasts Huis Ten Bosch president Hideo Sawada.
Sawada says he hopes robots will eventually run 90% of the property.
"In the future, we're hoping to build 1,000 similar hotels around the world," says Sawada, according to Japan's Nikkei News.
Other features will help make Henn-na the most futuristic low-cost hotel in the industry, according to the company.
Guestroom doors will be accessed by facial-recognition technology.
Amenities provided in rooms will be kept minimal. Guests can request items through a tablet when needed.
Instead of air-conditioning, a radiation panel will detect body heat in rooms and adjust the temperature.
Solar power and other energy-saving features will be used to reduce operating costs.