Dubai: A futuristic shift towards automation is often a matter of discussion and debate—while some call it a crisis, some believe it is a smart move where workers are gradually, then all at once, replaced by intelligent machines. But guess what, that future is already here, a Dubai based café says.
The ‘Robo Café’ which was launched in June 2020, is a sample of how the future will be. There are neither waiters nor chefs in this cafeteria—all of the tasks are taken up by German-made robots, which prepare and deliver it straight to the tables of the customers.
The set up is like this. A customer places an order from the smart screen that is available on their table and everything else is reliant on artificial intelligence. The robot sorts out the orders by the table and places them on the small service bot, which in turn delivers to the customer.
While German-made robots make the drinks, the fully autonomous delivery bots are designed and made in the UAE, Rashid Essa Lootah, executive director of the initiative told the media.
Customers are of the opinion that this new technology in the food industry is safe, especially when physical distancing and no-touch precautions have been recommended by healthcare experts during COVID-19.
The same concept of replacing the human with robots is done in South Korea. As reported by Reuters “Aglio Kim”, a trolley-like robot is used to deliver food to customers at a restaurant in Seoul.
This was done from September to minimize human contact and help ensure social distancing. The 1.25-metre tall robot is equipped with food trays, which can carry up to 30 kilograms and an LCD screen and speaker that communicate in both Korean and English. Developed by the South Korean telecoms company KT Corp, “Aglio Kim” can deliver food to up to four tables at once and also has capabilities to avoid obstacles and navigate around customers, the report adds.