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Chinese hotpot restaurant gets robot waiters, may soon be serving droids as well (video)
Why, it's another robot-themed hotpot restaurant! This time we're looking at Jinan -- once famous for demolishing a whole stash of illegal arcade machines -- up in north China, where a ballsy robotics manufacturer started trialling a robot-themed eatery. While there are still human chefs working back in the kitchen, some near-hundred customers will be served by six robots (about ¥40,000 or $6,000 each to build) that follow a white line to seat diners and deliver dishes. Oh, and don't expect any slapstick comedy here -- these bland-looking droids will only stop if you dare stand in front of them. You'll have to hurry up, though, as this venue closes in about 16 days; but for those who can't make it, we've got a video right after the break.
Robot waiters serve food and dance moves in Thailand, secretly plotting humiliation revenge
The Far East just gets more surreal each day. For instance, how about a Japanese restaurant in Thailand served by robots? You can thank Lapassarad Thanaphant for her 30 million baht ($927,600) investment in the Bangkok-based Hajime restaurant and its four motorised servants from Japan. The brave souls who dare to enter can place orders on touchscreens, and in return watch a lanky humanoid deliver the dishes, followed by some slick dance moves if its not too busy serving others. Oh, don't worry, these samurais are tied to a track so they can barely reach you, plus you get to cook your own food in the style of Shabu-Shabu (Japanese hot pot) or BBQ, so enjoy your freedom before they take over your cooking as well. Videos after the break.
Cyber Robotics Technology's Robo Waiter 1
We guess it really is hard to find decent help these days, as we're turning to robotic creatures to replace firefighters, soldiers, nurses, surgeons, and now waiters. Hong Kong's Cyber Robotics Technology has crafted the $5,000 Robo Waiter 1 -- which eerily resembles the hack job creations seen in science fiction films circa 1985 -- to entice customers to visit simply for the unique experience of having a robotic creation facilitate the ordering process. The oddly proportioned 'bot sports a shiny head with flashing lights for his eyes / mouth, and is used to guide guests to their tables as well as take their orders once ready. The audio from the customers is apparently channeled into the kitchen, where we're sure some form of Chinese cookbot takes care of the food preparation. Unfortunately, you're still forced to have a small dose of human interaction, as the eatery hasn't quite figured out how to fire replace those chaps bringing the meals to your table just yet. While we aren't certain if the robot is completely autonomous or controlled by some greater being (read: the off-duty chef), it has reportedly increased business by "20 to 30 percent" since joining the staff, so if your diner needs a reliable assistant on the cheap, be sure to peep this guy in action.[Via The Raw Feed]
