Gliding silently throughout the three expansive eating rooms, robots “Robbie” and “Stoney” have been a giant hit with seniors on the Stoneridge Creek Pleasanton retirement neighborhood.
Stoneridge was one of many first to launch the Servi meals service robotic program in a senior dwelling neighborhood final 12 months, and others nationwide have reached out to them since about adopting the concept. The Tesla-inspired know-how from Bear Robotics, Inc. in Redwood Metropolis was initially introduced into the neighborhood to help workers with clearing tables and serving up meals for at the very least 800 residents.
Born of the pandemic, social distancing and staffing shortages, the robots now simply bus tables because the staffing ranges have returned to regular. This eliminates the necessity for employees members to run backwards and forwards to the kitchen to take away soiled dishes they usually can deal with being extra social with the residents.
Director of Meals and Beverage Zachary Zeigler says it was necessary after they launched this system that seniors nonetheless felt that human reference to the workers.
“Our crew has extra time now to work together with our residents, which is one of the best a part of their jobs,” Zeigler mentioned.
At first, the leased robots have been fairly the novelty, and a few elders would put their canes out in entrance of them or stroll close by to see how they'd react. However they’re adept at deftly dodging most obstacles, together with artful people making an attempt to journey them up utilizing walkers and canes.
“They add some leisure worth,” resident Sandy Block mentioned. “We simply all hold our fingers crossed that it doesn’t get out of hand and run into any individual,” Block mentioned with a smile.
Residents have additionally been inspired to make use of different technology-inspired purposes together with QR codes to order meals proper from their tables. And now, a 12 months later, the robots principally simply mix into the background as they wiz to and from the cavernous kitchen bustling with employees.
Residents and buddies Nancy Evans, Audrey Lord-Hausman, Roseanne Lippert and Sharon Ough have been having fun with their lunch and sharing a bottle of rose wine because the robots zipped across the eating room awaiting a great deal of soiled dishes.
“They don’t discuss again they usually don’t name in sick,” Lord-Hausman joked.
Did they ever think about that they’d see robots of their lifetime? Within the technology-driven Bay Space, it was actually no shock to most.
“They’re very environment friendly,” resident Nancy Evans mentioned. “Plus, they’re so darn cute.”
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