StartupsChina's unmanned hotels ride 'contactless' wave
AI and Internet of Things technologies offer cost and quality improvements
Leyeju Smart Hotel customers can check into their room by themselves, using an ID card and facial recognition technology. (Photo courtesy of Leyeju Smart Hotel)
BEIJING -- "Contactless" is the new buzzword in consumer-focused businesses due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. In China, products and services ranging from robotic waiters, to driverless disinfection and sanitation vehicles, to unmanned smart hotels are proliferating.