Robots to take over Globe Life Field ahead of 2024 MLB All-Star Game
The Texas Rangers unveiled two new robots capable of making alcoholic beverages to enhance the customer experience during the 2024 MLB All-Star Week.
The first is called ADAM, an AI-driven service robot created by Richtech Robotics Inc. specializing in hospitality and healthcare.
ADAM can make drinks, clean up after itself, greet customers and carry on simple conversations. Jakub Campbell, an engineer for Richtech spoke about the creation and purpose of ADAM on Tuesday during a pre-All-Star Week press conference at Globe Life Field.
“Adam was our CEO’s [Wayne Huang’s] vision. He wanted something new to the market for food and beverage,” said Campbell, “It’s not just robot. [Richtech Robotics] wanted it to have like a personality and they can talk to you, it waves at you, gives you small talk, stuff like that.”
Campbell said one of the biggest challenges was getting ADAM ready for the capacity of a Texas Rangers crowd and making sure the robot could stand on its own.
“For the Texas Rangers stadium, it was a lot of making sure that we innovate our products to make sure it can be used at a commercial level,” said Campbell, “We want to make sure that everything is perfect and that it fits in well, that it won’t need as much aid.”
ADAM can be found in section 111 for fans eager to meet the Rangers’ first robotic bartender.
The second automated drink maker is Rotender, an automatic cocktail machine, that can make and deliver a drink in about 30 seconds.
Rotedner’s creation was spurred on by a study done by Oracle which said fans spend about 30 minutes on average waiting for drinks. Founder Ben Winston set out to try and reduce that wait time with automation.
“We said, hey, let’s make a machine where you can get simple stuff. It’s not going to be a mixologist, It’s not going to take several minutes to make. All you have is a big screen, big buttons, you tap what you want, you tap your card to pay and you’re good to go. You’re finally free to enjoy the experience that you came to see,” said Winston.
Winston expressed excitement at the early response.
“There is nothing in the country like Texas fans and Rangers fans,” said Winston, “We got to see people cheering and having fun and really just, just that surprise and wonder at being able to have this experience while they’re watching the thing that they love the most.”
Rotender was launched on July 3 and can be found serving fans in section 125.
