Customer Service Humanoid · Part of The Humanoid Group
Service Robot News, October 2026
Service robots are reaching hotel lobbies, dining rooms, shop fronts and airport halls. These figures and dated updates show where the work is real, who is delivering it and how guests respond.
SoftBank Robotics brings Servi Q and cooking robots to hotels in Europe
· Launch
SoftBank Robotics will show four robots at EquipHotel in Paris from November 2 to 5 as it pushes into food service across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. They include the 35 cm wide Servi Q, which fits aisles of 45 cm, and the STEAMA cooker, which prepares dishes in about 90 seconds.
Why it matters: Narrow delivery robots open up tight dining rooms and hotel bars that larger units could not reach. Measure the narrowest gap between tables and service stations before shortlisting any model.
ANA puts telepresence robots in five regional airports, staffed remotely from Kansai
· Deployment
All Nippon Airways began using avatarin's newme telepresence robots at Hiroshima Airport on August 21, with Tsushima, Tottori, Nagasaki and Komatsu following by late October. Staff at Kansai International help travelers with check-in, wayfinding and routine questions. A Haneda trial covered more than 25,000 interactions with a 98.4% resolution rate.
Why it matters: Telepresence lets one trained team cover several quiet sites without travel. The same model suits hotel groups and retailers, provided every location has steady Wi-Fi where the robot stands.
KEENON passes 100,000 service robots and pairs humanoids with delivery fleets
· Milestone
KEENON Robotics says it ranked first worldwide in commercial service robot shipments in 2025 and has deployed more than 100,000 robots across 70-plus countries, with users including Hilton and Burger King. At WAIC 2026 it showed its XMAN-R1 humanoid working beside specialized robots that handle frequent delivery and cleaning runs.
Why it matters: Large makers now sell humanoids as one part of a mixed fleet rather than a replacement for delivery robots. Plan how different robots share lifts, chargers and staff alerts before adding a humanoid.
Pudu plans a 44-room hotel run by robots on the Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link
· Launch
Pudu Robotics is preparing a 44-room hotel on the West Artificial Island of the Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link in Guangdong, with trial operations targeted for late 2026 and first guests in early 2027. Robots will haul luggage, deliver coffee and snacks, clean floors and handle room delivery, sharing one AI layer across the fleet.
Why it matters: A whole hotel run by robots will show where they cope and where people still need to step in. Most venues will start smaller, and the THG Pilot program gives a single floor or service clear measures first.
Hong Kong gets a humanoid-staffed convenience capsule on the Hung Hom waterfront
· Deployment
Hong Kong's Financial Secretary announced a 9-square-meter, 24-hour convenience store on the Hung Hom waterfront where a humanoid robot greets shoppers, starts conversations in several languages and supports purchases. The mainland developer says its Beijing site served about 1,000 customers a day and plans 100 such capsules across 10 cities.
Why it matters: Small, staff-light retail formats are a practical test bed for greeting robots. Track sales and dwell time against a nearby control site before trusting a maker's footfall claims.
Norwegian study traces restaurant robot rollouts from planning to evaluation
· Research
A case study in Frontiers in Robotics and AI followed service robot projects in Norwegian restaurants through 22 interviews with 34 participants. One robot carried eight plates per trip and saved 320 meters of walking per 20 guests. Managers framed robots as a workplace health and safety measure amid staffing shortages.
Why it matters: The study found success hinged on a site assessment, mapping, marked routes and testing with staff feedback. A Site Readiness Survey covers those early checks before a robot reaches the dining room.