Reception Robots

A visitor walks into a lobby, and before anyone at the desk looks up, a robot turns toward them, says hello in their language and offers to show them the way. That moment is the whole job of a reception robot. It doesn't build anything or carry heavy loads. Its work is first impressions, answers and directions, done consistently from opening to close.

The category has grown up quickly. Early lobby robots were mostly talking kiosks on wheels. Current models combine lidar navigation, face recognition, large-language-model conversation and big touchscreens, so they can hold an open dialogue, escort a guest to a meeting room and play promotions while they wait for the next arrival.

What a Reception Robot Does

Most reception robots share the same core skills:

• Greeting. Human detection lets the robot notice approaching people and start the interaction, and face recognition lets it welcome enrolled staff, members or VIPs by name.
• Answering questions. Voice dialogue, increasingly powered by large language models, handles open questions instead of a fixed menu of scripted replies. Many models work in several languages.
• Showing information. Chest or head touchscreens show maps, directories, service menus, timetables and video.
• Guiding. Laser or visual SLAM navigation maps the building so the robot can lead visitors to a counter, gate, room or exhibit, avoiding obstacles along the way.
• Promoting. Between visitors, the robot can roam set routes as a mobile display, playing advertising or announcements.
• Docking. When the battery runs low, it returns to its charger by itself.

Types of Reception Robots

Character Robots

Shorter, rounder robots with animated faces are built to be approachable. The Alpha Robotics Snow has a projected cartoon face inside a domed head, a 13.3-inch chest touchscreen, face recognition and 40-metre lidar navigation, and runs up to 10 hours per charge. The Alpha Robotics Timo is a lighter, 1.2-metre robot with the same reception skill set and an 8-hour runtime. Both suit schools, campuses, museums, care homes and retail settings where children or first-time visitors need to feel at ease.

Humanoid Receptionists

Human-height robots with a head, arms and a full-size display give the front desk a sense of presence. The Alpha Robotics Amy is the large-screen model in this group: a 1.5-metre humanoid with a 21.5-inch touchscreen, support for 18 languages and up to 10 hours of runtime. That makes it a natural fit for stations, airports, banks, hospitals and government service halls. The Alpha Robotics Alice offers the same 1.5-metre stature in a more refined design aimed at hotels, offices and corporate lobbies. The Alpha Robotics Ciao is a welcome robot for greetings, voice commands and guided presentations in exhibition halls, education and retail.

Reception and Marketing Hybrids

Some robots split their time between welcoming guests and selling to them. The PUDU KettyBot Pro pairs a 10.1-inch interactive screen with an 18.5-inch advertising display. It combines laser and visual SLAM to get through aisles as narrow as about 52 centimetres, and its trays let it deliver light items as well as greet and guide. Restaurants and shops use it as a combined usher, runner and moving billboard.

Bipedal Service Humanoids

At the top of the category is the UBTECH Walker C, a full-size bipedal humanoid that stands 163 centimetres tall, weighs 43 kilograms and has 20 degrees of freedom. It walks rather than rolls, runs UBTECH's own embodied interactive large model for multilingual conversation, and has worked as a greeter and tour guide at international exhibitions. It's the choice for flagship lobbies, showrooms and visitor centres where the robot is part of the brand experience.

Comparing the Range

Choosing the Right Reception Robot

Start with the visitor. Children and older visitors respond well to character robots like Snow and Timo. Business travellers and patients expect a clear, large display like Amy's. A brand showroom may want the impact of a walking humanoid.

Map the space. Measure corridor widths, check for thresholds, ramps and lifts, and decide how far the robot will need to escort people. Lidar robots handle large open floors well, and the KettyBot Pro is built for tight aisles.

Count the languages. If many visitors are international, confirm which language packs are included and whether the conversational AI works offline or needs a cloud connection.

Plan the content. Screens are only as useful as what they show. Budget time to load maps, directories, FAQs and promotions, and decide who will keep them up to date.

Check the integrations. Some deployments link the robot to visitor management, queuing, ticketing or lift control systems. Confirm what each platform supports before you commit.

Where Reception Robots Work

• Hotels and serviced apartments: welcoming guests, answering questions about amenities and escorting guests to lifts.
• Corporate offices: greeting visitors, notifying hosts and leading guests to meeting rooms.
• Airports and stations: multilingual wayfinding and timetable information.
• Banks and government service halls: queue guidance, service menus and form directions.
• Hospitals and clinics: directing patients to departments and easing pressure on front desks.
• Museums and exhibitions: guided tours with explanations at each stop.
• Retail and restaurants: greeting shoppers, promotions and light delivery.
• Schools and care homes: friendly interaction, announcements and visitor check-in.

Pricing and Availability

Reception robots on this page are available for purchase and international delivery, from a single unit for one lobby to fleets spread across several sites. Price and cost depend on the model, language packages, content setup, integrations, training, warranty and quantity, so buyers should request a current quotation for their project. Delivery, customs clearance, commissioning and after-sales support can be arranged worldwide. Purchase enquiries, datasheets and availability details for every reception robot in this category are available on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a reception robot?

A reception robot is an autonomous service robot that greets visitors, answers questions by voice or touchscreen, shows information and guides people to their destination inside a building.

Can a reception robot replace a human receptionist?

It handles the repetitive parts of the role, like greetings, directions, common questions and promotions, so staff can focus on complex requests and personal service. Most venues use it alongside people, not instead of them.

How many languages do reception robots speak?

It depends on the model and configuration. The Alpha Robotics Amy supports 18 languages, and the UBTECH Walker C offers multilingual conversation through its embodied AI model. Confirm the language packs at quotation.

How long does a reception robot run on one charge?

Most models in this category run a full working day. Snow and Amy reach up to 10 hours and Timo up to 8 hours, and all of them return to their docks to recharge automatically.

Can a reception robot recognise people?

Yes. Several models use face recognition to greet enrolled staff, members or VIPs by name, and human detection to engage visitors as they approach.

What is the difference between a wheeled and a walking reception robot?

Wheeled robots like Amy, Snow and the KettyBot Pro are efficient, stable and run for longer. A bipedal humanoid like the Walker C walks on legs, which gives it a more lifelike presence for flagship and showcase spaces.

Where can I buy reception robots and what do they cost?

Reception robots are available for purchase through this page. Cost depends on the model, configuration and deployment scope, and quotations, specifications and delivery arrangements are provided on request.

Summary

Reception robots turn the front desk into an always-on welcome point that greets every visitor, speaks their language and walks them where they need to go. This category covers the whole range, from approachable character robots for schools and museums, through large-screen humanoids for airports and banks, to marketing hybrids for retail and a full-size walking humanoid for flagship spaces. For any venue planning its first robot receptionist or expanding a fleet, this page is the starting point.

Delivery notes

1. Version: Global English. No links, currency, seller name or country references. I can do store versions (each with its own short description) on request.
2. The live category pages are empty: both robotsinternational.com and robotsusa.com have placeholder meta tags (description and keywords just say "Reception Robots"), no intro line and no article. Everything above replaces that.
3. Grid difference: the RI grid has seven products, including the UBTECH Walker C. The USA grid has six, with no Walker C. If a store version goes on robotsusa.com, either add the Walker C to that grid or I'll take it out of the copy.
4. Alice specs conflict: the live RI product page lists Alice with a 13.3-inch screen, a 20 Ah battery, 10 h runtime and 3 DOF. The October Amy article said Alice has a 21.5-inch screen, a 15 Ah battery and 5 DOF. To avoid repeating either figure, I only described Alice's height and positioning here. Worth checking the datasheet, since one of the two pages is wrong.
5. Ciao has no published specs on the live page, so it's described by role only.
6. Walker C vs Walker C1: UBTECH showed a newer Walker C1 (about 165 cm, about 50 kg) in mid-2026. The copy describes the original Walker C (163 cm, 43 kg, 20 DOF), which matches the live listing. If your supplier is now shipping the C1, tell me and I'll update it.
7. The Alpha Jupiter (digital-human reception robot) is in Alpha's lineup but not in your grid. Add it if you can source it, and I'll fold it into the page.