The future of dining? Robot waiters a draw at restaurant in China

[beijingwalker]

The future of dining? Robot waiters a draw at restaurant in China
Reuters
Sunday, 13 January, 2013, 4:20pm

A robot that specialises in delivering food holds an empty plate after serving meals to customers. Photo: Reuters

No need to tip the waiters at the Robot Restaurant in Harbin - they're robots.

Opened in June, the restaurant in China's northern Heilongjiang province has 20 robots working for it, as waiters, cooks and busboys. The mechanical staff can work continuously for five hours after charging for two hours and can also display more than 10 expressions on their faces.

And if anyone is concerned this may herald the reign of robots, don't fear. These are friendly androids: they say basic welcome sentences.