After almost being wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic, Service Robots has bounced back in spectacular style, winning the Best Artificial Intelligence award at the 2020 Lloyds Bank Business Awards.
Before the pandemic, Service Robots was enjoying a run of success. The company gained international acclaim and recognition in 2016 when it invented the world’s first robot photographer, proving to be a huge hit at weddings and corporate events alike. At the time of the outbreak, the company was supplying service robots for events all over the world. This all changed practically overnight. Service Robots Director Tim Warrington describes the sudden reversal in fortune:
“We literally went from boom to zero overnight. It was scary times and we had to act.”
While many companies would become overcautious in such a situation, Service Robots realised that the best strategy was to go on the attack. The company doubled down on their efforts, working tirelessly to create the new UVC robot and a food serving robot. As Tim Warrington explains, creating a new product at a time like this was not easy:
“It was a fine balancing act. Preserving cash was important but we had to develop a new robot really quick, which also eats cash.”
Luckily, the company’s hard work paid off. The new robot has proved to be a huge success, with orders flooding in from the US military, Hogarths, and several other major companies. Service Robots is now the biggest UK robotics manufacturer in Europe, but Tim Warrington is quick to acknowledge that this success was only possible thanks to the financial support of the UK government’s furlough scheme.
“The government help was immense. The furlough helped us close for one month so I could think about how to attack the situation.”
Winning at the Lloyds Business Awards is proof of how much a company can achieve under difficult circumstances. Tim Warrington describes the sense of achievement felt by him and his colleagues:
“We really have turned on our heels and turned something bad into something good. It’s been difficult but winning this prestigious award has made the sleepless night worth it.”
