Gadgets

Well, it’s finally happening. Restaurants are starting to use robots as servers

The robots still can’t operate without the help of an actual server and look to assist employees instead of replacing them.

by
Alex Gatewood
November 22, 2021

Image: KnowTechie

The COVID pandemic has brought a great deal of change into the workforce around the world, as many jobs have evolved and adapted over the course of the last couple of years. One industry that is still finding it difficult to find laborers is the restaurant sector. As a result, some restaurants are turning to robots to help carry the load.

One company has burst onto the scene to try and help solve the problem. American Robotech is a new, automation company based in Texas with the specific goal of improving the restaurant experience for both diners and servers with its automated robots.

The company currently offers four different robots that can perform various restaurant duties. The robots can help waiters clear tables, deliver food, or even act as a host and guide diners to their seats. American Robotech’s robots act as a sort of personal helper to a restaurant’s waitstaff.

It’s important to note that the company’s CEO, Jackie Chen, told Business Insider that the company’s robots “cannot replace people.” The robots certainly seem like they could offer a lot of help in understaffed restaurants, but there’s no way for them to act without direct assistance from people.

Check out the HolaBot for instance. HolaBot is designed specifically to help a waiter dispose of dirty dishes after a diner is done. But the robot can’t clear the table itself.

Instead, the HolaBot can be summoned by an employee, who then cleans the table and loads up the dishes on the robot for disposal. HolaBot can queue up several destinations, so it seems like it could be a huge help during a restaurant’s rush hours.

Chen says that his robots are currently being used mostly in restaurants that are understaffed.

The restaurant business has always been notoriously tough, and there has certainly been a recent shift in the kind of work that people are looking for. It looks like now is the perfect opportunity for American Robotech.

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