Design, modeling and manufacturing a novel servant robot equipped with auxiliary mechanisms for catering service in conference halls

Purpose A new service robot is designed and manufactured in this article toward covering the catering services in conference and restaurant environments. This robot is equipped with auxiliary mechanisms to facilitate the catering process without requiring the cooperation of the guests. The robot can increase the speed of serving in crowded restaurants, improve hygiene standards by reducing the risk of viral transmission (e.g. SARS-CoV-2) and eliminate fatigue and physical strain during the catering process. Design/methodology/approach An elevator mechanism is designed to manage the altitude of the robot trays with respect to different tables, and the distance of the target tray to the guest can be controlled by a prismatic system. Consequently, the robot can be used in conference halls and restaurants with various desk configurations and table heights. The robot also includes an obstacle avoidance system to prevent collisions with objects. Findings Simulation and experimental tests show that the robot can be employed in any hall with any desk configuration for catering purposes, achieving path tracking accuracy up to 98% and a maximum simulation error of approximately 5%. Originality/value The robot was simulated in MATLAB, and its modeling was verified through simulation scenarios. A prototype of the robot, called KharazmServBot, was manufactured at Kharazmi University, and the kinematic and kinetic results were compared with simulation to demonstrate the correctness of the modeling and the efficiency of the robot.