Most failed robot deployments don't fail because of the robot — they fail because the site wasn't ready. After working with dozens of restaurant, warehouse, and retail teams deploying PUDU and other commercial service robots, these are the five things you need to lock down before the robot even arrives.

1. Floor Surface Audit

Robots need consistent, flat surfaces. Walk every route the robot will travel and check for:

• Transition strips between flooring types (tile to carpet, concrete to rubber mats) — anything over 5mm is a potential snag point

• Wet zones near kitchens, dishwashing areas, and entrance mats — robots lose traction on wet surfaces and some sensors misread reflective puddles

• Slopes and ramps — most service robots handle 3–5° inclines, but anything steeper needs a workaround route

Quick fix: Lay painter's tape along your planned robot routes and walk them yourself. If you trip or hesitate, the robot will too.

2. WiFi Coverage Mapping

Your robot's navigation, task management, and remote monitoring all depend on stable WiFi. Dead zones = stranded robots.

• Use a free WiFi analyzer app and walk every planned robot route

• You need minimum -65 dBm signal strength along the entire path

• Pay special attention to walk-in freezers, storage rooms with metal shelving, and elevator lobbies — these are notorious dead spots

• If your venue uses a mesh network, make sure the robot won't constantly switch between access points mid-route (this causes 2–3 second pauses)

3. Traffic Flow Analysis

Observe your space during peak hours for at least two full shifts before deciding on robot routes.

• Bottleneck points: Where do staff members cluster? Where do customers queue? The robot needs a clear 80cm corridor at all times

• Door situations: Automatic doors work fine. Manual doors that staff prop open "sometimes" are your worst enemy — the robot can't predict whether a door will be open or closed

• Peak vs. off-peak: Your robot routes during dinner rush might need to be completely different from your morning setup routes

Map at least two route options for every primary task. When Route A is blocked, the robot needs Route B ready.

4. Charging Station Placement

This is where most teams get lazy — and then regret it.

• Place the charging dock away from high-traffic areas but within the robot's operational zone. A back hallway corner works; a spot next to the host stand does not

• Ensure 1 meter of clearance on all sides of the dock — the robot needs space to align and reverse in

• Power outlet proximity: You need a dedicated outlet within 1.5m of the dock position. Extension cords across walkways are a safety hazard and a code violation

• If you're running multiple robots, each one needs its own dock. They can't share

5. Staff Preparation (The One Everyone Skips)

The biggest predictor of deployment success isn't technical specs — it's whether your team is bought in.

Before the robot arrives:

• Identify 2–3 "robot champions" on your team who will learn the system deeply and help train others

• Set clear expectations: The robot handles delivery/transport tasks so staff can focus on customer interaction, not the other way around

• Practice the manual override: Every staff member should know how to pause, redirect, and emergency-stop the robot within their first shift

• Define escalation paths: When the robot gets stuck or behaves unexpectedly, who does what? Write it down and post it in the break room

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These five checks take about 2–3 hours total and save you weeks of frustration post-deployment. The teams that skip site prep end up doing it anyway — just under pressure, with a $15k robot sitting idle.

Inside Omnex Robot Academy, we provide detailed checklists, templates, and walkthroughs for every step above — plus staff training modules, SOP templates, and ROI tracking tools. If you're deploying service robots and want to get it right the first time, that's what we're here for.