Have you ever heard about Boston Dynamics? Yes? No?
How about Bosstown Dynamics?
Okay, never mind! I will explain.
Boston Dynamics is one of the finest robotics companies in the world. Their robots and humanoids can do backflips, open doors, roam around the lawn, pull a heavy truck, and groove to “Do You Love Me.”
Oh yes! They can even be great pets.
Don’t believe me? Ask Jeff Bezos!
And then there’s Bosstown Dynamics, a parody video that shows the flipside of robotics.
Los Angeles-based production studio, Corridor Digital created the parody in 2019. It features a replica of Boston Dynamics’ humanoid that fights back humans during a robustness testing.
While the video was supposed to be funny, it has thrown some serious questions.
What if this parody actually becomes a reality? Are we humans becoming obsolete? Will our jobs still be there in the future?
And more…
Talking about the restaurant industry, the concerns are the same. Because there’s a major boom of robots in restaurants.
And if you want to understand this entire scenario of robotics in restaurants, this blog is for you.
Table of Content
The Rise of Robots, AI, and Machine Learning in The Hospitality Industry
Technology in hospitality has thrived to such an extent that it has become more prevalent today.
Robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are some of the top technologies that have successfully managed to mark their place in hospitality.
Here are some examples of how these technologies can be used:
- Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to perform human functions at any time of the day. Meaning, it can eliminate human errors and deliver superior services. Which is why in-person customer service is one such aspect where AI is making a great difference.
Hilton’s AI-powered robot concierge, Connie is a great example. It helps hotel guests figure out what to visit, where to dine, and how to find anything at the property.
- Another great example is forecasting consumer trends and pricing. Many machine learning systems collect historical data and provide restaurants with information such as trends that are most likely to happen.
Further, you can structure prices using the same technology.
- Henn-na Hotel in Nagasaki, Japan is one of the finest examples of robots in hospitality. This is the world’s first hotel that employed robots. From greeting to serving food, they do everything. It is a perfect blend of excitement and comfort!
These examples are just to give you a glimpse of how the hospitality industry looks like when technology takes over.
Numerous establishments have embraced robots and other advanced techs to improve their operations.
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How Robots Invaded the Restaurants?
It all started with Cobots (robots that work alongside humans).
Cobots were first used in a type of restaurant called automats. These restaurants were equipped with vending machines. But, with time, automats went out of business.
Even though these restaurants aren’t there, the concept of cobots stayed.
Today, cobots are not just limited to vending machines, but they are also being used by restaurants, and other hospitality businesses to simplify food ordering and payment processes.
What’s next?
When restaurants started to see the advantages of robots, they soon integrated them into other segments.
Robot chef and kitchen
Yes, you heard that right! Robots are now cooking our food in restaurants.
Here are some real-life scenarios of robots in restaurants’ kitchens:
- San Francisco-based restaurant Creator has integrated a robot that does everything to make the best burgers. It grinds beef, fries patty, toasts buns, dispenses condiments and even assembles the burgers.
- Created by a London-based robotics company, Moley is one of a kind kitchen robot (it’s actually a kitchen in itself, to be precise).
According to Moley’s website, it is a fully automated kitchen unit that comes with:
– Cabinets;
– Robotic arms and hands;
– Recipe recording system;
– GUI screen with access to a library of recipes;
– And a full set of kitchen appliances and equipment.
Further, Moley knows the basic etiquettes of the kitchen. That’s why it even cleans up everything after it’s done.
Here are some images of Moley
- Wait, we are not done yet! There’s more. Spyce restaurant in Boston, MA is equipped with a robotic kitchen. Even though they have helpers for preparing the ingredients, the actual cooking is done by robots.
Robot waiters
In terms of waitering, the Two Panda Deli in California, USA, is a great example. It was the first restaurant with robot staff.
This fast-food restaurant employed robots (Tanbo R-1 and Tanbo R-2) to serve Chinese food to its customers.
And since then, robots as waiters have become a trend in the restaurant industry. Restaurateurs have started investing significantly in robots to serve the customers.
- Uruka Restaurant in Guwahati, Assam
- Robot Restaurant in Bengaluru
- Japan’s Wild Robot Restaurant
- Haohai-The restaurant with the Wall-E waiter, China
- Hajime Restaurant, Thailand
There are a lot of other restaurants all around the world that are doubling down on robot waiters.
Even amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants are making the most.
In order to maintain social distancing, a restaurant in the Netherlands has introduced new robot waiters. The red-and-white robots greet customers, serve food and pick up used dishes from tables.
Advantages and Concerns of Having a Robot in The Restaurant
We have seen all the advancements and applications of robots in restaurants. But now, let us take a look at the benefits and drawbacks.
Here are the advantages of robots in restaurants:
- Having non-human staff helps restaurant owners do away with concerns about hiring, leaves, or human error.
- It helps them save significantly on labour cost.
- Further, robots might be expensive to create and integrate, but once deployed at work, they are typically cheaper than human workers.
- Robots increase efficiency at the workplace and provide a better experience to diners.
- It helps restaurants in attracting more guests and increase reservations as robots add a unique experience.
Concerns regarding robot workers at restaurants:
- Robots are fed with certain instructions and operate according to that. For instance, if it’s a robot chef, it will keep producing dishes with precision, resulting in a similar taste.
And I feel not everyone appreciates the same taste all the time. But when a human cooks, it tastes a little different every time.
In terms of wait, robot waiters are emotionless. The feeling of talking to a real human when placing orders is different. You can let the staff know about your preference and how you would like to have the food. But all of these are not feasible with a robotic voice.
It drops the dining experience.
The Debate: Will the Dystopian Scenarios Come True?
Robots in restaurants might seem like an impressive futuristic spin, but it is not always sunshine and rainbows.
So, let’s address the elephants in the room — “Future of robots in restaurants” and “Do humans need to worry about losing jobs?”
Well, there’s no specific answer to this because everyone has their own opinion. So, I would address this with my perspective.
The rise of robotics technology in restaurants is inevitable. But as of now, they won’t take the job of human restaurant staff. The incorporation of cobots might increase, but restaurants turning completely to robotics is still a faraway scenario.
I know every time we watch a movie or see something on the internet, we feel the dystopian world is actually turning into reality. But that’s not the case.
Building robots is expensive, and to build something that can mimic a human waiter flawlessly is not a cakewalk. It is expensive and requires time.
The Human Touch
I don’t think the idea of turning a restaurant completely robot-enabled is a good idea. Because humans are emotional creatures and we seek human interaction.
This is why there’s something called “social acceptance”. Just because a technology is top-notch doesn’t mean it will be accepted. According to a report, it will take about 40 years for our society to fully accept robot waiters.
What should restaurants do?
Striking the right balance between restaurant automation and manual workforce is recommended.
You can rather turn to semi-automation with robots that are only assigned to take care of mundane tasks. This is the best a restaurant can do for its guests and staff.
FAQs
Yes! Humans and robots can work together. And these types of robots are called cobots.
Many robots can cook. And they have been installed in numerous restaurants worldwide.
These are the types of robots that are designed to assist kitchen staff in cooking.
The chances of robots replacing chefs and waiters are less. They will help and support, but not replace.
Conclusion
Robotics over the years have evolved tremendously and its applications are spreading wide. The restaurant industry is one of those adapters that believes robots could be of great use in scaling their business.
However, it has raised some serious concerns because there are some legit disadvantages of robots in the food industry. And in this blog, I tried to shed light on the important aspect of technology’s usage in restaurants.
Let me know in the comments if you have a different perspective.
