Robots Take Over Korean Burger Restaurant to Keep Social Distancing

September 17, 2020

In a bid to minimize person-to-person interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, a burger joint in South Korea is replacing human staffers with robot servers.

Robo-waiters: Fast-food chain No Brand Burger has been using robots to handle taking orders, meal preparation and serving customers in its day-to-day operations, Associated Press reported.

Customers use a touchscreen to place their order and pay.
After the order is forwarded to the kitchen, a cooking machine starts preparing the food, heating up burger patties and buns.
Human workers then add toppings and wrap up the meal to be presented to the customer.
A robot server then brings the takeout bag to the customers once ready.
Takeout orders at the chain account to over half of its total sales this month as restaurants could only provide takeout and delivery after 9 p.m. in South Korea following a second wave of coronavirus infections recently. The restriction was lifted earlier this week.

A growing trend: Other establishments in Asia have also started the use of robots to supplement human workers in recent months.

In Japan, a shelf-stacking robot piloted by a human is being used in grocery stores, NextShark previously reported.
FamilyMart and Lawson, two of the largest convenience store operators in Japan, are the first to deploy Model-T, a kangaroo-like robot created by Japanese startup Telexistence.

Meanwhile, an Italian restaurant chain in South Korea has started using robot servers for its dine-in customers.
Known as Aglio Kim, the robo-waiter uses high-tech cameras and sensors to navigate between tables inside the restaurant Mad for Garlic.
The restaurant reportedly used the smart robot to put diners at ease while eating out during the pandemic, according to Inside Edition CBS.
“Customers found the robot serving quite unique and interesting, and also felt safe from the coronavirus,” Mad for Garlic manager Lee Young-ho was quoted as saying.

Feature Image via Catch Your Minimon Blog

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