MEPhI: Robot waiter

History

2024: Product Announcement

MEPhI has developed an autonomous robot waiter to serve visitors to cafes and restaurants, capable of independently delivering trays with orders. This became known on December 24, 2024.

The project was implemented under the leadership of Maxim Bolotov, a master's student at the Higher Engineering School of MEPhI. Several catering chains and supermarkets have already become interested in the development.

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Фото: cnews.ru

The six-wheel robot is equipped with an electric motor that allows you to move at the speed of a fast-walking person. For orientation in space, the device uses a lidar and a 3D video camera, with the help of which it creates a three-dimensional map of the room.

The robot is equipped with a touchscreen for accepting orders and can carry three trays of food at the same time, which can raise, lower and change places. The device can be controlled both through the screen and remotely from a mobile phone or computer.

In 2025, it is planned to conduct pilot tests of the robot in real conditions, including one of the cafes on the territory of MEPhI. The developers' immediate plans are to create a design, integrate the payment terminal and possibly add a voice module.

Before starting work, the automated waiter must make an informational detour of the hall to create a map of the room. After that, the administrator will be able to set the route of movement with an indication of the sequence of table service.

Representatives of retail chains are considering using such a robot as a mobile demonstration shelf with goods, which could expand the scope of development beyond the catering sector.

The only limitation of the robot is that visitors must independently move the dishes from tray to table, since this function has not yet been implemented in the current version of the device.^[1]

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