Inside high-tech café where robot waiters are controlled by staff at home
A café in Japan has been catching the attention of tourists, because all of its food and drink are served up by robots.
Technology is becoming more and more entwined with our lives from using artificial intelligence at work to robot delivery services that drop off your food. Tourist attractions are no different as venues seek to add an extra novelty to our experiences. The country is also known for its unusual cafe culture – from those filled with puppies and cats to maid cafes.
One such venue has now combined technology and cafe culture to offer guests a futuristic experience that will make you feel like you’re living in 3023 not 2023. The Dawn Avatar Robot Café in the Nihonbashi Honcho area of Tokyo has a waiting staff made entirely of robots. Social media users have been raving about the fun cafe online – and @wheretofindme showed off the food and drinks being brought to the tables.
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But, there’s an added layer to this cafe in that the robot waiters and staff are controlled remotely "by people with medical or physical limitations who cannot come into work but want to stay connected to society". So it’s giving those who are unable to leave their homes the ability to work. Is that not such a great idea? Reports state that there are 70 staff members who work as the robot pilots bringing food and drink to customers, taking orders and greeting holidaymakers.
One travel creator, Maz Green, @wheretofindme, posted about her experience on TikTok and Instagram. Her videos went viral with thousands of likes as she showed off the cafe.
Maz bought herself some juice and a cup of tea and showed the high-tech waiters serving her at the table. She said: "I got served by robot waiters in this Tokyo cafe – futuristic and cool, yes, but what makes this place so worth a visit is that the robots are controlled remotely by people with disabilities who cannot come into work but want to stay connected to society.
"Shaping a more inclusive future this is Dawn Avatar Robot Cafe." In the background the cafe seemed huge and open with high ceilings and an industrial, but clean modern style.
In the TikTok caption, Maz added: "Getting served by robot waiters was definitely one of the craziest things I experienced in Tokyo! A futuristic and wholesome concept, add this unique cafe to your Japan bucket list."
While on Instagram she said: "Getting served by robots in this futuristic cafe in Tokyo! A place which champions inclusivity, these robots are controlled remotely by people with disabilities who can’t physically come in to work but want to stay connected to society. I loved the concept and had such lovely conversations with some of the employees, who could all speak English!"
In the comments, one person said the robots were "kind of cute" while another said it was a "great initiative". One commenter added: "So instead of robots taking human jobs, it's robots creating human jobs. That's beautiful."
Another noted: "You had me at cute robot waiters and kept me with giving job opportunities to disabled folk in the best way possible!" While a jokester said: "OK, that’s it, Japan is just living in the future and not giving me the time machine."
One person said: "I like the fact this actually helps disabled people actually connect with life outside of their predicament and allows them to work when their disability doesn’t allow them to physically do it, this is robotics and A.I done correctly, to help, assist, and enhance us, not replace us completely."
On the cafe menu is a selection of panini, curries, sushi cakes, parfait, cheesecakes, coffees, juices and pops as well as beer. Dishes cost from £3.98. There’s also a diner menu too which shows they sell salads, soups, hamburgers and even an afternoon tea for £13.80. You can read more about the cafe and its initiatives on the website dawn2021.orylab.com.
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