Robot Serves Food, Drinks In South Korean Restaurant

“Aglio Kim”, a trolley-like robot which uses artificial intelligence (A.I.), is delivering food to customers at a restaurant in Seoul, in order to minimise human contact and help ensure social distancing.

Shortly after customers order through a touch-screen on the table, the 1.25-meter-tall robot, developed by South Korean telecoms company KT Corp, brings the food and uses its visual SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) capabilities to avoid obstacles and navigate around customers. 

The robot can deliver food to up to four tables at once, KT’s AI Platform Business Team leader Lee Young-jin told Reuters.

The A.I. robot is equipped with food trays which can carry up to 30 kilograms and an LCD screen and speaker that communicate in both Korean and English. 

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“Customers found the robot serving quite unique and interesting, and also felt safe from the coronavirus,” said Lee Young-ho, a manager at the Mad for Garlic restaurant which has tested the robot this month.

From Monday, restaurants and cafes in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area are allowed to open after 9 p.m., but must leave two metres between tables and record patrons’ names and contact details.

Reuters