Well we've seen them flip burgers, pick tomatos and even do backflips so why wouldn't they be able to make a good ole' cup of joe for us in the morning?
Well what if I told you there's a robot barista named "Sawyer" that can make a great cup of coffee for you in Tokyo? Do I have your attention yet? Just drop by the Henn-na Cafe in Tokyo on to get a nice hot latte from Sawyer. The cafe's robot barista brews and serves coffee which may not be such a bad thing considering the rapidly aging country seeks to adapt to a shrinking workforce.
So it works like this... First the single-armed robot scans a ticket purchased from a vending machine. Then it greets the customer.
"Would you care for a delicious coffee?" the barista, with a screen showing a pair of cartoon eyes, asks in a flat tone. "I can make one better than human beings around here."
Sounding a bit surreal yet? We'll I'd imagine it would be quite surreal if you were being served your morning coffee for the first time by a robot. In a few years from now it'll be business as usual I'd expect!
It grinds the coffee beans, fills a filter and pours hot water over a paper cup for up to five people at once. A cup of brewed coffee costs 320 yen (about $3.59 Cdn) and takes a few minutes.
Sawyer can also operate an automated machine for six other hot drinks including cappuccino, hot chocolate and green tea latte.
Well it doesn't actually make the latte but rather is able to operate a machine that can make it before serving it to you. Still, its a move towards that goal of a fully automated android barrista.
Do you wonder how the local population is getting on with this robot? Well, Takeshi Yamamoto, a 68-year-old restaurant employee who works in the neighbourhood, said he really enjoyed visiting the robot cafe and also thought his robot-made coffee was delicious.
"It's quite rich, and tastes very good," Yamamoto said, as he took a sip. "You can get machine-made coffee at convenience stores, too, and it's actually good. But here, I had great fun.
What do you guys think about robot made coffee? I rather like talking with a human barrista myself, they are often quite funny and witty. Part of the experience of going to a cafe is the interaction you have with the person making your coffee and personally I'd rather prefer that experience remain human!
Please leave your thoughts and reactions below.
Thanks for reading @Techblogger!
Source:
Robot makes coffee at new cafe in Tokyo - CBC News
Image Source:
CBC News