When LG’s CLOi robot first appeared in 2018, it didn’t get off to the best start.
On stage at CES with former LG marketing chief David VanderWaal, CLOi fell silent at the worst possible moment, leaving VanderdWaal to conclude that “CLOi doesn’t like me.”
Four years later, and several iterations later, CLOi is now ready for prime time, with the Korean company announcing the CLOi ServeBot for the US market this week.
LG said the semi-autonomous craft is ideal for “complex commercial environments” such as restaurants, retail stores and hotels.
Capable of supporting loads of up to 66 pounds, the 53-inch-tall CLOi can run for up to 11 hours on a single charge. But don’t expect anything to happen quickly, as CLOi only has a top speed of 2.2 mph.
The robot can be programmed for a range of floor plans, “allowing precise multi-point deliveries ranging from densely packed restaurants to sprawling office complexes,” LG said, with a host of sensors and cameras helping it avoid collisions with staff and customers. .
A video (below) released by LG last year shows CLOi moving between restaurant tables and serving trays of food to customers. Well, almost serve, because CLOi’s deficiency in the arm department means a human has to actually lift the meal from the tray to the table.
LG said it is currently training operators on how to integrate CLOi in different business settings and will soon contact US companies to gauge interest in the robot.
“The LG CLOi ServeBot is truly a breakthrough for all kinds of consumer-focused businesses, from restaurants to retail stores to hotels,” LG’s Jeffrey Weiland noted in one release.
“The semi-autonomous operation of the CLOi ServeBot offers businesses an efficient way to provide improved service, while freeing up staff to focus on customer relations and building relationships that encourage repeat visits. Whether delivering food from the kitchen to a table or packages from the storage room to the counter, LG’s CLOi ServeBot can navigate virtually any environment and free up staff to manage service. direct customer.
CLOi ServeBot is a more advanced version of the disembodied CLOi robot that appeared at CES in 2018. A stage demonstration at the tech event disintegrated into a farce when CLOi decided to ignore the company’s chief marketing officer , who, to be fair, handled the situation. pretty good. You can watch the calamity below.
Four years later, we assume LG engineers have created a vastly improved CLOi, but it remains to be seen how many companies will use its services.
