Is this robot after our hospitality, retail and healthcare jobs?

As you navigate through your daily routine, whether it’s grabbing a meal at a restaurant, visiting a healthcare center or checking into a hotel, you might soon encounter a new kind of robot at these places. 

It’s called the FlashBot Arm, and Pudu Robotics is behind it. 

This semi-humanoid robot combines advanced manipulation capabilities with intelligent delivery features, making it a significant innovation in the service robotics sector. Unlike traditional robots, the FlashBot Arm is designed to interact with its environment in a more human-like way.

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FlashBot Arm in a hotel. (Pudu Robotics)

What is the FlashBot arm?

The FlashBot Arm is an upgraded version of Pudu’s FlashBot Max, a wheeled cube used for autonomous item delivery within buildings. This new model adds two robotic arms with seven degrees of freedom each and dexterous hands featuring 11 degrees of freedom, allowing it to perform tasks such as pressing elevator buttons, swiping card keys and carrying objects. 

These enhancements enable the robot to adapt effortlessly to various tasks without requiring costly modifications to existing infrastructures.

FlashBot Arm in a hotel. (Pudu Robotics)

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Specifications

• Dimensions: 21.22 x 20.28 x 56.7 inches
• Weight: 33 lbs
• Battery life: Up to 8 hours on a single 4-hour charge
• Automatic recharging: Automatically returns to the charging station when the battery is low, ensuring safety and convenience
• Maximum reach: 6.6 feet operational range for both arms
• Display: 10.1-inch touchscreen capable of displaying facial expressions
• Navigation: VSLAM + LiDAR SLAM for real-time mapping and obstacle avoidance
• Payload capacity: Can carry up to 33 lbs

FlashBot Arm in a restaurant. (Pudu Robotics)

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Advanced features and capabilities

One of the FlashBot Arm’s standout features is its ability to navigate complex environments entirely on its own. Using advanced VSLAM and laser SLAM technologies, it creates detailed 3D maps, allowing it to move through spaces and avoid obstacles in real time. This is especially valuable in places like hotels, where traditional robots often struggle with elevator navigation due to infrastructure limitations. The FlashBot Arm overcomes these challenges seamlessly, handling tasks from picking up items to operating elevators and delivering them with precision, which significantly boosts service efficiency.

The robot also incorporates cutting-edge large language models that enable it to hold natural conversations with people. Through these interactions, it can understand verbal delivery instructions and coordinate with other robots in the vicinity to analyze tasks and break them down for efficient execution. This conversational capability makes the FlashBot Arm a more interactive and responsive tool, elevating the overall experience by providing personalized service tailored to specific needs.

FlashBot Arm in a restaurant. (Pudu Robotics)

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Applications across industries

The FlashBot Arm is designed for diverse commercial settings:

• It can deliver items to guests autonomously in hotels while navigating elevators.
• In restaurants and retail spaces, it assists staff by transporting goods or interacting with customers.
• In healthcare facilities, it supports medical staff with logistical tasks like moving supplies.

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FlashBot Arm in a service environment. (Pudu Robotics)

Safety and user interaction

The FlashBot Arm is designed with safety and seamless interaction in mind. It’s packed with high-precision sensors like RGBD cameras, LiDAR, panoramic cameras and pressure-sensitive skin, which help it understand its surroundings in real time. These features allow the robot to navigate safely and stop immediately if it encounters an obstacle, ensuring smooth human-robot interactions. You can communicate with the FlashBot Arm using voice commands, gestures, or even through its expressive touchscreen face, making the experience feel natural and intuitive. Its sleek design also makes it approachable and engaging, breaking down barriers for anyone interacting with this cutting-edge technology.

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FlashBot Arm in a hotel. (Pudu Robotics)

Cost and availability

The FlashBot Arm is priced at approximately $28,000, making it a premium solution for businesses looking to integrate advanced robotic assistance into their operations. As for availability, Pudu Robotics has established a presence here in the U.S. with headquarters in Santa Clara, California, and a fulfillment center in Hamilton, New Jersey. This setup ensures that the FlashBot Arm is accessible to businesses across the U.S. through authorized distributors. However, specific pricing and availability details may vary, so it’s best to contact Pudu Robotics directly for more information.

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FlashBot Arm in a hotel. (Pudu Robotics)

Kurt’s key takeaways

As impressive as this technology is, it’s impossible to ignore the concerns it raises. For some, the FlashBot Arm represents progress — streamlining tasks and enhancing services in ways that were once unimaginable. For others, it’s a sign of growing automation that could displace human workers, particularly in roles traditionally filled by manual labor. While robots like the FlashBot Arm can create new opportunities in areas like maintenance and programming, they also bring the risk of job displacement for those without access to retraining or alternative career paths. The reality is that automation isn’t going away — it’s expanding. But its adoption isn’t instantaneous, giving us time to adapt and find ways to balance innovation with workforce stability.

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