Robin – Build an Automated Office

Given how much technology they contain, it’s surprising how little the typical office space has actually changed in the past two decades. Robin is aiming to change that, providing businesses with an automated system that adds an intelligence layer to the traditional workplace.

Robin essentially serves as a dashboard for your office. Using BLE/iBeacons with sensors, Robin can detect when specific people have entered your workspace. When you walk into a room with a connected smartphone, Robin signs you into the room automatically and shares the information that you’ve indicated you’re willing to share with other people who’ve already arrived. (For example, Robin might share your contact information with everyone else who is in the room.) At the same time, you’ll be able to see which colleagues are nearby and manage calendars for conference rooms within your building all on your smartphone.

Robin’s office intelligence tools are designed to eliminate many of the headaches that go along with running business meetings, minimizing hassles like room booking, generating minutes, and locating colleagues who are running late. One of the side benefits of using Robin within your office space is that the app also provides users with analytics. Landlords and business owners can see how their spaces are being used, and they can shape their spaces based on actual data that’s been collected by Robin’s sensors.

Practical Uses:

• Book a conference room with your smartphone
• Share personal information automatically with other people in a meeting
• See how people are actually using your office space
• Manage calendars together with other people in a meeting

Insider Tips:

• Connect up to 32 rooms with a single Robin account
• Robin will soon be launching an API for developers
• Robin works with all major brands of beacons
• Users have control over the information they choose to share or keep private

What we liked:

• Robin uses BLE/iBeacons to detect nearly people and things
• Users are signed in to rooms automatically when they arrive at meetings
• Robin helps locate coworkers who are late to meetings
• Businesses that use Robin have better control over how they use their spaces

What we didn’t like:

• The beacons required to use Robin must be purchased separately

Alternatives:

• None

Company Info:

• Launched: 2014 (Beta)
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
• Founded by: Sam Dunn and Zach Dunn
• Web site: https://robinpowered.com

Costs:

• Small plan is $100 per month
• Medium plan is $500 per month
• Large plan is $1,000 per month