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Hiring a robot waiter can cost you your business
If you've ever whined that employing people means dealing with their personal messes, don't think hiring robots can make your life any better. Two restaurants in China have been forced to close after replacing their flesh-and-bone waitstaff with robots turned out to be a terrible mistake. According to the Worker's Daily (translated by Shanghaiist), the expensive droids were incapable of taking orders, carrying soup or pouring water. That means that a sophisticated artificial intelligence is being outdone by a 17-year-old on minimum wage with their head in a cloud of marijuana smoke.
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.
