Robots Deliver Meals And Smiles To Residents At Allisonville Meadows Assisted Living

American Senior Communities (ASC) has enlisted the help of some unusual new team members at some of their communities, including Allisonville Meadows Assisted Living in Fishers. You’ll find them roaming the dining room delivering food – and they’re robots!  

Called Servi from Bear Robotics, the robots feature trays, safety sensors and even music, and are tasked with running food between the kitchen and dining rooms alongside their culinary team members. 

“Our goal in using robots is to allow our dining staff to spend more time in the dining room with residents, ensuring that their needs are met,” said Karen Powell, Vice President of Nutrition and Culinary Services at ASC.  

Robots are becoming increasingly popular in dining environments, as they can provide a variety of services that improve the efficiency of food service. The robots are equipped with sensors and cameras, which makes them able to navigate space intelligently, safely and with ease. The robots automatically know when to return to their post in the kitchen when internal weight sensors on its two trays detect that delivery has been completed.  

“Overall, our residents enjoy the robots. They understand that they aren’t replacing their favorite servers and they even have names for them,” said Powell. The residents at Allisonville Meadows have named their robot “Robbie.” According to Executive Director Kaitlin Buenavides, the residents really enjoy watching Robbie moving about in the dining room. “Robbie has been such a great addition to our extended Allisonville Meadows family. The residents enjoy the opportunity to have more time to interact with their favorite servers while still receiving timely service.”