GadgetWings
Barcelona gets first airport bot restaurant
SELF, which works alongside a human team to assist customers, was launched
as a result of market research carried out over several years.
Barcelona airport has been chosen as the debut location for SELF, a robotic restaurant
with artificial intelligence designed for airports. It helps that the company that developed SELF, Spanish travel retail industry operation Areas, has its global headquarters in Barcelona.
SELF is located in the commercial area at Terminal 1 next to gate B24 and covers 137m2 of floor space. Its offering focuses on the products most in demand at the airport, such as coffees, premium sandwiches, juices, pastries, salads and pokes, desserts and soft drinks, prepared daily to ensure freshness and quality.
Investment in innovation
SELF has been developed with Spanish innovation and engineering by IJRRobótica and AEV, in collaboration with tech partners such as MasterCard, AEV, Kuka, and ICG. It has also involved FMCG brands such as Mahou San Miguel, Coca-Cola, Frit Ravich, Lavazza, Montaraz, Gufresco, Danone, and Evian.
The project is the culmination of several years of studies and extensive market research to respond to the growing and demanding requirements of new traveler profiles.
Photo supplied
SELF is designed to offer travelers a new experience, with agile and efficient service. It uses a robotic arm with a claw and five tactile fingers to optimally manage and deliver orders. When the customer gets to the restaurant, they select their products and pay (easy orders) and are issued a ticket with a number and QR code. SELF prepares and organises orders in trays to speed up delivery, notifying the customer on screen when their order is ready for pickup. The staff is always available to help in the dining room or
with take-out orders.
SELF can handle up to six orders at the same time and helps the human team provide guests with better and more personalised service.
Highly efficient
SELF is highly efficient at managing inventory and procurement, operating autonomously but in close collaboration with the team. SELF is equipped with advanced AI and a machine vision camera, which learns and makes optimal decisions in real time, allowing it to “see” and adapt to the environment to improve service quality and speed.
The collaboration between Areas, Aena and the strategic partners involved in the project has made it possible to implement SELF at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, one of the busiest airports in Europe, providing travelers with a differentiated experience during their time at the airport.
Sergio Rodríguez, CEO of Areas Iberia, said: “This project marks a milestone in food and beverage and travel retail and reaffirms our entrepreneurial spirit, capacity for innovation and transformational vocation to lead new trends in the industry.”
