Autonomous Indoor Navigation Robot for Restaurant Environments

Abstract

This paper presents the design and implementation of NavBot, an Autonomous indoor service robot tailored for restaurant environments. The project addresses the need for efficient and automated customer service, aiming to reduce operational workload and enhance customer experience. NavBot utilizes ultrasonic sensors to detect and avoid obstacles in real-time, ensuring safe navigation in indoor settings. It also incorporates Google Cloud's Speech-to-Text API to receive customer orders via voice commands, which are stored and processed using a SQLite database. Furthermore, NavBot employs a camera for human detection, allowing it to execute context-based tasks. The robot autonomously delivers food to designated tables with minimal human intervention. The results demonstrate improved service speed and operational efficiency, enabling restaurant staff to focus more on personal interaction with customers. This project highlights the potential of robotics in the food service industry as a cost-effective and innovative solution to enhance customer engagement and streamline operations.