23/12/2010 - Restaurant employs robot servers
A restaurant in China is drawing much praise for the quality of its service, but its staff are taking it all in their stride.
At the Dalu Robot restaurant in the city of Jinan in Shandong province, a dozen machines resembling droids from Star Wars have been employed as servers, entertainers, receptionists and greeters.
They move along a conveyor-belt system carrying trays of food around the restaurant. A sensor on each robot can detect the presence of someone standing in their way, making them stop. The customers can then pick the dish of their choice.
The robotic servers are proving very popular since they are never tired or irritable and do not need to be tipped.
First-time visitor to the restaurant, Li Xiaomei, 35, said: "They have a better service attitude than humans.
"Humans can be temperamental or impatient, but they don't feel tired, they just keep working and moving round and round the restaurant all night."
Billed as China's first robot hotpot eatery, the Dalu restaurant is owned by Zhang Yongpei, who is hoping the concept will highlight the technological advances made in his country.
"I hope this new concept shows that China is forward-thinking and innovative," he said.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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