Virgulino is a 1.5-meter robot who was “hired” about 45 days ago as a waiter at the bakery Villa Grano in São Paulo (SP). Its function is to transport plates and glasses from one place to another using the table and chair maps already programmed into the system.
“People really liked it. We’ve already bought a total of five, and we’re also looking into cleaning robots,” says Douglas de Oliveira, co-owner of Villa Grano.
The robot is from the Chinese brand Keenon and arrived in Brazil through Kratos Robotics, a startup developed eight months ago by businessman Marcello Lucarelli and two other partners. “We realized there was a market overseas and decided to bring it here as well. We’ve already met two handfuls (of customers),” he says.
The company’s robots have four aspects. Waiter, service in restaurant or bakery. Cleaning services focused on industrial and commercial facilities. Logistics for transporting cargo in warehouses, supermarkets and hospitals. Communication robots are intended for distributing gifts at fairs and events, and are not intended for interaction.
This startup deals with service robots, which are different from humanoid robots. “There is a market for humanoids, but the initial investment is still very high. We don’t think now is the time,” says Marcello.
Another of Kratos’ customers is the Quinta do Marques bakery in Alphaville, which has been using robot waiters since January. “That’s the reality. They are very productive,” partner Marcos Gonçalves Nunez told the report.
Delicia de Perdizes and La Ville Bakeries have also been testing the technology for some time, evaluating whether to stay in business. Each robot costs R92,000.
“It’s already worth it,” says Villa Grano’s Douglas de Oliveira. He commented that some importers offered the robot at a lower price, but he stuck with his choice due to the fact that Kratos offers support in Brazil. “What do you do when your little business fails? Do you throw it away?” he asks.
Oliveira said he tried to dress the robot in a waiter’s uniform, not knowing that the fabric could be on the sensor. “It was running around in the middle of the room, absolutely crazy. I said, ‘It’s stopped working.’ I called support, and three hours later they were here with an explanation,” he says.
When the Virgulino robot encounters a new obstacle, it asks, “Excuse me, can I pass? I have to pass.” If no one helps him continue on his path, he will turn around and try to reach his destination elsewhere.
For older customers, robots may be interesting, but the service is nothing compared to a human waiter. “Despite the fact that even humans these days talk to us like little robots busy with work,” says Maite Born, 65, an educator who has been attending Villa Grano for decades.
Partner Douglas de Oliveira said the labor shortage was a factor in the decision to purchase the robot. The Villa Clementino store, which opened 12 years ago, once had 150 employees, but now has only 100. “We need at least 120 people, we have 20 vacancies, but no one is coming,” he reports.
According to Sampapan, an organization representing Sao Paulo’s baking and confectionery industry, there are 30,000 vacancies in the sector in the capital alone, 55,000 in the state and 140,000 in the entire country. But the goal of businessmen, at least for now, is not to be able to solve the labor shortage problem with machines.
Villa Grano also features self-service checkout, electronic labels that “flash” during promotions, automatic bread cutters, and QR code menus. “We have teenagers who like to come here, order on their cell phones, pick up their food with robots, and pay with totems. They leave without telling anyone,” Oliveira says.
But when he introduced the QR code menu, fewer than 1% of customers used it, he says, and only 5% of customers now use the method. “Some people like to get suggestions from the waiter or have them leave out some ingredients, but that’s more difficult on a mobile phone.”
FIA Business School professor Patricia Artoni says the use of robots in environments such as bakeries can be a positive as long as it is planned and done. “Investments are being made not only financially, but also in the cultural adaptation of employees and customers,” he says.
“When programmed properly, it reduces errors and frees up employees to focus on more human tasks. But when used too strictly, it can create the same stress as calling an automated service that doesn’t solve the problem.”
Researchers say success depends on customers’ perception of benefits. “When people find robots faster and more practical, they tend to like them. But when they feel less autonomous and accepted, they want to talk to people.”
Regarding the robot market, Professor Plinio Aquino Jr., coordinator of RoboFEI, the champion team of the World Service Robot Championship to be held in Thailand in 2022, says that many of the models used in Brazil have not yet been adapted to new features.
“These are common robots imported from China, so sometimes the customer has to get up from the table to retrieve the food because the robot doesn’t reach the correct position,” he explains.
But in his case, this situation tends to change quickly. “In the next 12 months, we should see a major evolution in robots that truly adapts them for business. Robots have rear-facing sensors and can detect obstacles, potentially making them safer than humans, but without state technical support they will be vulnerable to operations.”
For researchers, the main benefit of service robotics is the redistribution of functionality. “Robots will not replace humans. People will be freed up to focus on nobler activities, such as helping to seat an elderly customer or serving a new dish while a machine carries heavy dishes to the kitchen.”
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