Originally designed for use in the hotel and healthcare sector, this is the first time a robot of this type (a snackbot) has been deployed at an airport, the German operator said.
Named after Jeeves the butler in PG Wodehouse’s novels, the snackbot offers a selection of chilled soft drinks and snacks that can be purchased via cashless payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and all major credit cards. A large touchscreen is used to complete the purchase.
The snackbot is 110cm tall and moves autonomously through the gate area on Levels 4 and 5 in Terminal 2 at Munich. It stops when passengers come near it or step into its path.
Jeeves was developed by Munich start-up Robotise. It is being tested for one year by Terminal 2 Gesellschaft, a Munich Airport and Lufthansa subsidiary. According to the airport operator, the use of robotics serves not only to improve logistics at Munich but also to research passenger acceptance and create added value for the passenger travel experience.
