Soon a robot will be the one to spit in your food instead of a human.
What you need to know
SoftBank has bet some pocket change (by SoftBank standards) on a robotics company that specializes in food service. TechCrunch with Bear Robotics CEO John Ha, whose company just finished a Series A funding round that ended with $32 million in investment, led by SoftBank. TechCrunch notes that SoftBank also recently invested heavily in robotics firm Berkshire Grey, a warehouse robot maker that raised $263 million in Series B funding.
Rather than replace human servers, Ha sees Bear Robotics server droid, named Penny, as an assistant that will reduce the amount of labor the humans need to perform. Current versions of the robot don't talk much or display a personality, they simply deliver up to three trays of food.
Bear Robotics is currently testing the robot in restaurants, casinos, and some homes, and Ha expects to add nursing homes to the target list in the future. Penny will be leased to establishments, not sold, and will require a subscription commitment for "white-glove" service that includes maintenance and support. Thus begins the age of robot-as-a-service (RaaS), though paying a server a monthly rate that includes maintenance sounds suspiciously like paying a salary with health insurance, except the money goes to a robot.
Robot Cleaner
iRobot Roomba 960
A powerful vacuum for any home
This robot provides powerful suction, home assistant compatibility, and sensors to keep it from bumping into things. It's a great pick for any home.
What you need to know
- Bear Robotics makes Penny, a robot food server assistant.
- The company recently raised $32 million in Series A funding, led by SoftBank.
- Penny is in testing and will be leased to restaurants and other food-serving establishments.
SoftBank has bet some pocket change (by SoftBank standards) on a robotics company that specializes in food service. TechCrunch with Bear Robotics CEO John Ha, whose company just finished a Series A funding round that ended with $32 million in investment, led by SoftBank. TechCrunch notes that SoftBank also recently invested heavily in robotics firm Berkshire Grey, a warehouse robot maker that raised $263 million in Series B funding.
Rather than replace human servers, Ha sees Bear Robotics server droid, named Penny, as an assistant that will reduce the amount of labor the humans need to perform. Current versions of the robot don't talk much or display a personality, they simply deliver up to three trays of food.
Bear Robotics is currently testing the robot in restaurants, casinos, and some homes, and Ha expects to add nursing homes to the target list in the future. Penny will be leased to establishments, not sold, and will require a subscription commitment for "white-glove" service that includes maintenance and support. Thus begins the age of robot-as-a-service (RaaS), though paying a server a monthly rate that includes maintenance sounds suspiciously like paying a salary with health insurance, except the money goes to a robot.
Robot Cleaner
iRobot Roomba 960
A powerful vacuum for any home
This robot provides powerful suction, home assistant compatibility, and sensors to keep it from bumping into things. It's a great pick for any home.