Pudu Robotics launches KettyBot Pro for personalized customer experience

Pudu Robotics, a commercial service robotics organization, announced the launch of its KettyBot Pro, the next generation of its delivery and reception robot. Enhancements in the new generation include immersive engagement and personalized advertising, cutting-edge cameras that allow for navigating even narrower passageways, smart tray inspection based on visual sensors and more color options.

In 2024, restaurant and retail customers expect seamless experiences tailored to their preferences by brands that can anticipate their next desire. Businesses facing an unprecedented labor shortage are turning to robots to deliver such an experience.

In addition to delivering food and returning items, KettyBot can attract, greet and guide customers in dynamic environments while generating advertising revenue, reducing overhead and enhancing the in-store experience.

KettyBot in the restaurant robotics industry

“We hear from various businesses that it’s hard to maintain adequate service levels due to staff being overwhelmed and stretched thin,” said Felix Zhang, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics. “Robots like KettyBot Pro lend a helping hand by collaborating with human staff, improving their lives by taking care of monotonous tasks so that they can focus on more value-added services like enhancing customer experience. And people love that you can talk to it.”

Since its launch in 2021, KettyBot has been successfully deployed in high-traffic environments by global brands such as KFC, MediaMarkt, Pizza Hut and Walmart. These companies use the robot to deliver orders, market menu items and products and welcome guests.

New features in the KettyBot Pro

The KettyBot Pro is the latest addition to Pudu’s fleet of commercial service robots. The robot features several new product features, including:

• Passability upgrade: A new RGBD depth camera - with an ultra-wide angle that boosts the robot’s ability to detect and avoid objects - reduces KettyBot’s minimum clearance from 55cm to 52cm under ideal conditions. This allows the robot to navigate through narrow passageways and operate flawlessly in busy dining rooms and stores.
• Smart trays inspection: This tray inspection functionality is based on visual sensors. Using a fisheye camera positioned above the tray, the robot can now detect the presence or absence of objects on the tray. Once a customer has picked up their meal, the robot will automatically recognize the completion of the current task and proceed to the next one without the need for manual intervention.
• Customization for customers: The integration with Pudu Open Platform allows users to personalize KettyBot Pro’s expressions, voice and content, enabling easy operation and the creation of differentiated services. In a themed restaurant, as the KettyBot Pro delivers meals to customers' tables, it can display expressions or play lines associated with relevant characters. The robot can also provide personalized welcome messages and greeting services, such as birthday services in star-rated hotels.
• Mobile advertising display: Through the Pudu Merchant Management Platform, businesses can flexibly edit personalized advertisements, marketing videos, and more. Equipped with an 18.5-inch large screen, the KettyBot Pro offers new possibilities for promoting menu updates and new product marketing for restaurant and retail clients.
• New color schemes: The KettyBot is now available in pure black in addition to the classic white & yellow and yellow & black color scheme of the original model. The variety will better meet the aesthetic preferences of customers from different industries across global markets, especially for luxurious settings like business venues and high-end hotels where pure black is often regarded as the premium choice.

To meet demand for its robots in the U.S. and across the globe, Pudu Robotics - which reached $100 million in revenue in 2022 - is building two new factories near Shanghai that will triple the company’s annual capacity.