Robotic automation has long been the domain of manufacturing, but of late, service robots have made an often entertaining and sometimes gimmicky leap to restaurants in China, Taiwan, Japan, and increasingly the US. Please accept the following video ode to Singularity Hub’s favorite restaurant robots of the past few years.
Noodle bot: Knife-brandishing chopper of noodles, you terrify and inspire us in equal parts. You slice noodles with grim efficiency, and for that we are grateful.
Sushi bot: Although the high art of sushi-making may best be suited for human hands, we hold your pace of 3,600 robo-riceballs an hour in the highest regard.
Ice cream bot: The robot ice cream man cometh, and your theme song will echo in my skull for days to come—that is exactly as it should be.
Hamburger bot: You have no video, and yet you were liked over 5,000 times on this site alone. When your hamburgering hits YouTube—watch out.
Pizza bot: I am skeptical your vending machine pie will satisfy. Your promise of “untouched by human hands” and comical voice-over sales pitch will have to do.
Bartender bot: Any old bartender can inebriate me, but true mixology is about consistency, and best of all, you won’t miss a tip or three.
Chef bot: Though merely mixing ingredients behind a plexiglass pane, your precision is admirable and stamina unmatched.
Waiter bot: You follow the track and deliver food like a pro, but it’s the dance moves that keep us coming back for more.
