Top Innovation Fixations in 2025 - Robot baristas
Every year, we meet, hear from or read about the people, projects and organisations quietly reinventing how the social housing sector - and the wider world - thinks, builds, connects and serves.
This list celebrates not the predictable or the polished, but just some of the people and organisations we've seen trying something new, even when there isn’t a blueprint.
From robot baristas and restorative practice in HR to AI-driven stock surveys and modular multi-storey buildings, these are some of our favourites from the last year.
If you thought AI assistants were impressive, wait until one makes your cappuccino.
North Star Housing Group teamed up with the The National Robotarium to pilot a humanoid robot barista names Basil at one of its housing schemes.
Basil didn’t just pour coffee. It chatted with residents about the local town’s history, landmarks, celebrities and the activities happening at the scheme.
Behind the charm was serious science; a test of how humans interact with conversational robots and build trust with technology.
This is robotics meeting real life, and the results could shape the future of care, companionship and customer experience.
Meet Basil here: https://lnkd.in/eFZjb6zN
